San Francisco 49ers: 5 late-round gems to target in the 2019 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy | Mar 31, 2019

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - NOVEMBER 24: Marquise Blair #13 of the Utah Utes gestures to the crowd in the second half of Utah's 35-27 win over the Brigham Young Cougars in a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on November 24, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

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SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Marquise Blair #13 of the Utah Utes warms up before the Pac 12 Championship game against the Washington Huskies at Levi’s Stadium on November 30, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 30: Marquise Blair #13 of the Utah Utes warms up before the Pac 12 Championship game against the Washington Huskies at Levi’s Stadium on November 30, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The 49ers need to add a quality free safety this offseason, namely to provide both depth and long-term competition with possible starting defensive backs Jimmie Ward and Adrian Colbert.

Enter Utah’s Marquise Blair.

Blair, 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, has an ideal body type for the position and doesn’t hesitate to throw himself around like an inside linebacker. Currently, it seems as if he’s on the fringes between Rounds 3 and 4. So, if he slips into the fourth round, the Niners should definitely look to grab him if they haven’t made a move to address the secondary already.

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As far as his fit in San Francisco’s Cover 3, single-high scheme? Well, Blair showcased some of that straight-line speed with a 4.48 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. And he’s played that single-high role before, showing success there.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote the following on Blair:

"Athletic, full-throttle prospect with the mindset of a linebacker in a free safety body. Blair plays the game with an aggressive field demeanor that fuels his passion to race into the action, ready to strike on sight. … Because of his slender frame, some teams are concerned that durability could become an issue considering how he throws his body around. With that said, he’s long and rangy in coverage, and embodies the mindset that defensive coordinators want from their units."

Zierlein admitted Blair needs to be better about honing in his aggressive play style, both to avoid penalties and preserve his smaller frame.

If he can do that, however, he’d be an excellent addition to a 49ers secondary that was sorely lacking for a center-field presence in 2018.

Next. 5 players the 49ers should avoid in Round 2 of the NFL Draft. dark

The 2019 NFL Draft officially kicks off on Thursday, April 25 with day three starting on April 27.