Niner Noise
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49ers 2019 mock NFL Draft: Assessing team needs over all 7 rounds

By Peter Panacy

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays an image of Mike McGlinchey of Notre Dame after he was picked #9 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by J.R. Reed #20 of the Georgia Bulldogs after a catch during the third quarter in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Henry Ruggs III #11 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by J.R. Reed #20 of the Georgia Bulldogs after a catch during the third quarter in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

An unheralded pick but a necessary one.

Safety depth has been a massive issue for the 49ers over the first quarter of 2018. Both Adrian Colbert and Jaquiski Tartt have missed time, pressing others like Antone Exum and D.J. Reed into the fray.

Those are nice stopgap options. But with former Florida safety Marcell Harris (Achilles) yet to make an impact, and it being anyone’s guess whether or not he does, the 49ers could afford to add some power behind the starting safety tandem.

Georgia’s J.R. Reed projects as a strong safety at 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds. But he’s fluid enough to act as a single-high free safety, and there isn’t any questioning his tackling abilities. With three interceptions over his year-plus collegiate career, he has some ballhawk traits too.

Reed didn’t get a lot of attention with Georgia’s defense last year, largely because that was focused on now-Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith. But if you read 24-7 Sports’ Jake Rowe’s breakdown on Reed’s impact last year, you’ll like what you see:

"Through the first half of the season, Pro Football Focus had yet to credit Reed with a missed tackle. He ended up missing a few on the year but he also made some big plays. His scoop and score against Florida helped put the game away. He also had big interceptions in SEC East games against South Carolina and Tennessee. He even had a blocked field goal against Samford early in the year."

Just like that, more secondary depth and some starting potential gets added.

That is, of course, if the 49ers don’t go out and land injured Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas in free agency. But that’s another article for another time.