5 players the 49ers must add in free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers will need to look to both NFL free agency and the 2019 NFL Draft in order to help fill the voids in many key positions. With improvement needed on both sides of the ball, Niner Noise looks at five players to add to the 2019 roster.

The rebuild continues for the San Francisco 49ers after another unfortunate failure of a year. With both head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch heading into their third year running the 49ers, they really do need to show signs of improvement in 2019.

Lynch has previously come out as saying that the 49ers have pursued players “hard,” an example being linebacker Khalil Mack, who was eventually dealt to the Chicago Bears. However, this year money needs to be spent in NFL free agency in order for the team to advance. A team cannot continue to function relying on young and often untested players, with the possibility that they strike gold and one of many problem areas are solved.

Proof of this was thrust into the spotlight with the dramatic decrease in production from many second-year players, notably cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safety Adrian Colbert, to name two. Both had standout rookie years, however failed to fire in 2018. While injury did somewhat hamper their abilities, it doesn’t excuse their slip in skill level.

I wouldn’t call year three a make-or-break year for Shanahan and Lynch, but it’s coming awfully close. Many of the choices the duo makes in the NFL Draft and free agency will dictate how the 49ers 2019 season goes.

There are quite a few positions that need tweaking over the offseason, with fans and analysts each having their own different opinions about which is more important and what needs to be addressed first. With that, I offer up five players from both the draft and free agency that the 49ers should seriously consider as the rebuild continues.