Niner Noise
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5 burning questions for the 49ers after the 2019 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being announced as the second pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being announced as the second pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – APRIL 25: Nick Bosa of Ohio State poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen #2 overall by the San Francisco 49ers during the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft on April 25, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers’ 2019 NFL Draft class started off seemingly to plan, yet got a bit interesting in the later rounds. What burning questions did this class leave behind?

There was no reason for San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch to overthink the team’s first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

If Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa managed to slip past the No. 1 overall pick and into the Niners’ hands, that’s all Lynch needed to act.

Turns out, that’s what happened for San Francisco. The top-drafting Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the top pick in the draft, and Lynch was able to get Bosa at No. 2 overall.

That alone would have made for a relatively successful 49ers draft class, as the Niners managed to get arguably the best player available. Yet San Francisco’s needs extended far beyond just the pass rush.

In total, the 49ers walked away with eight players from the NFL Draft:

  1. EDGE Nick Bosa, Ohio State
  2. Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
  3. Wide Receiver Jalen Hurd, Baylor
  4. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
  5. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, Arkansas
  6. Tight End Kaden Smith, Stanford
  7. Offensive Tackle Justin Skule, Vanderbilt
  8. Cornerback Tim Harris, Virginia

Considering no Niners wideout reached 500 receiving yards in 2018, it’s safe to say Lynch and Co. addressed this particular shortcoming. And with Bosa, San Francisco will almost definitely improve upon the 37 sacks the defense posted last season.

That said, there are still more than a few questions left unanswered from this year’s draft class.

Let’s take a look at those, as Niner Noise explores the five most burning questions facing Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers roster heading towards training camp in 2019.