49ers need to pick best talent over need in 2019 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers, armed with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, shouldn’t solely focus on positional needs this April. Talent matters more.

Envision yourself as general manager of the San Francisco 49ers, and it’s day one of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Arizona Cardinals, who own the top pick in the draft, are about to call a name and announce the selection.

“With the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select…”

As Niners GM, you’re already planning. The Cardinals aren’t trading down and have taken a player, and there are only two you’re focused on at this moment: Ohio State EDGE Nick Bosa and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who are widely viewed the two best prospects in this year’s class.

If the Cardinals’ pick is Williams, you’re set. Bosa is your guy, and most big boards list him the No. 1 overall prospect anyway. That would be a no-brainer.

But then Arizona does what it should do, take the best overall player in Bosa.

Now what?

This is the exercise fans need to understand: Teams like the 49ers need to draft the best talent available, not specifically for positions. It’s great when the positions and needs line up (they often can). Yet in this case, a potential Williams-to-San Francisco selection would make more than a few fans upset.

Therein lies the problem.

If Bosa is gone, many a Niners fan will clamor for Kentucky EDGE Josh Allen. It’s not hard to find him on big boards ranked the No. 3 best prospect in this year’s NFL Draft. The problem, however, is there’s a significant drop from the tandem of Bosa and Williams to Allen. And if you’re not sure of the film and reports I look at, just ask Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller:

Williams is a much better and disruptive prospect than Allen at this point. But many fans are clamoring for better edge-rushing production — an area in which they think Allen would fit better. The thing there, though, is Allen isn’t a prototypical LEO-type pass-rusher. He’s more of a strong-side SAM linebacker. Those are nice to have, and the 49ers need one, too.

Yet the value at No. 2 isn’t there.

Regardless, don’t fall in love with the idea of an EDGE being the absolute necessity at No. 2 overall. That’s going with the notion of positions being more important than talent.

But What About DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas?

Good question (thanks, I asked it for you, myself). The 49ers experimented with 2017 first-round draft choice Solomon Thomas at LEO, and it didn’t necessarily work in the pass-rushing department. He showed more prowess on the inside, and it would be a solid argument to him playing the 5-technique “big” end on the strong side of the defensive formation.

Drafting Williams wouldn’t negatively impact Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner‘s abilities and roles, either. San Francisco could bump him outside to left defensive end, where he was his rookie 2016 season, or they could continue pairing him along the interior with Williams.

And it would free up the Niners to move on from defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who would be owed just over $9 million in guaranteed money if he’s on the roster by the start of the season.

“But what about the EDGE?” you ask.

Pass rushes don’t have to just come off the edge. It’s a shorter distance to the quarterback from defensive tackle spots than it is from the edge (use your measuring sticks the next time you watch All-22 film). Case in point, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t rely on a massive outside pass rush for most of 2018, instead utilizing the interior disruption of defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald.

Pairing a tandem of Williams and Buckner would be highly effective. And in a deep class of outside pass-rushers anyway, San Francisco can still look to target one later.

There is, of course, the notion of the Niners trading out of that No. 2 spot, adding additional draft capital and finding a second-tier EDGE later in Round 1. That’s totally plausible and worth another argument.

But if the 49ers stay put at No. 2 and the Cardinals take Bosa, passing on a player like Williams just to land an EDGE is pretty silly.