Niner Noise
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5 players the 49ers should have targeted in the 2019 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass next to Terry McLaurin #83 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Justin Layne #2 of the Michigan State Spartans breaks up a pass next to Terry McLaurin #83 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 10, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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ORLANDO, FL – SEPTEMBER 01: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for Jaylen Smith #9 of the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter of the game at Camping World Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – SEPTEMBER 01: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for Jaylen Smith #9 of the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter of the game at Camping World Stadium on September 1, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

The San Francisco 49ers came away with a total of eight players in the 2019 NFL Draft, yet these five players might have been wiser targets for general manager John Lynch and Co.

The San Francisco 49ers received some relatively favorable grades from Niner Noise in regards to their 2019 NFL Draft class.

Entering the draft with six selections, general manager John Lynch eventually came back with a total of eight prospects. And in case you forgot them, here you go:

  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

The Niners landing Nick Bosa automatically makes this draft class one of the best in the league. Bosa was arguably the top prospect in 2019, and San Francisco landing him at No. 2 has to be considered a steal.

Many of the other picks, such as Deebo Samuel, were also very solid additions, too.

That said, there are some players the 49ers could or should have targeted a bit more aggressively. Whether the Niners merely passed on players, or simply decided a prospect wasn’t worth trading up, it might have been a bit wiser for Lynch, head coach Kyle Shanahan and their staff to go after a few other bodies instead.

In this slideshow, we’ll look at five players San Francisco would have been wise to target a bit more aggressively during the NFL Draft, especially in the middle and later rounds.