2020 NFL Draft: 32-pick Round 1 mock halfway through 2019 season

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TUSCALOOSA, AL – NOVEMBER 10: Xavier McKinney #15 of the Alabama Crimson Tide knocks down a pass by Nick Fitzgerald #7 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Safety. Crimson Tide . Xavier McKinney. 32. player. 829.

Alas, the 49ers are winners in Super Bowl LIV. Let that soak in for a second, Niners Faithful.

OK, this is just a mock NFL Draft and nothing more, so let’s not get too excited. But the good news is San Francisco doesn’t have a ton of needs heading into 2020.

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That doesn’t mean needs are lacking, however.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was a nice pickup before the NFL trade deadline, but he’s a free agent next year. Cornerback Richard Sherman is getting up there in age and is signed through next season only, while left tackle Joe Staley is also hitting the twilight of his career.

Yet another chief need is at free safety, where Jimmie Ward is also poised to hit free agency. Oft-injured, Ward doesn’t appear to be a strong re-sign candidate for the 49ers, and his position is one of the most crucial pieces to coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense.

One of the better deep-safety candidates in this year’s NFL Draft is Alabama’s Xavier McKinney, who possesses both the ranginess and coverage abilities to make him a flexible piece — something valuable, since the Niners’ shift this season to make their safeties more interchangeable.

Next. Top takeaways from 49ers' Week 9 win vs. Cardinals. dark

With this move, San Francisco retains a shot to maintain its excellent pass defense into 2020 and beyond.