Niner Noise
FanSided

5 2020 Senior Bowl standouts 49ers may like for NFL Draft

By Jeremy Wohlfart

Troy Pride Jr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Troy Pride Jr, Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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UCLA Bruins
Darnay Holmes, UCLA Bruins(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

No. 4: Darnay Holmes, Defensive Back, UCLA

Speaking of versatility, there is no defensive back in the draft that provides more versatility than Darnay Holmes from UCLA.

Holmes can fit anywhere in the secondary. He can be play as either a nickel corner or on the outside, and can also play safety. Combined with his strong Senior Bowl, he could be a quick riser on draft boards.

Holmes was impressive in Senior Bowl practices, constantly making plays and showing great coverage skills.

In the NFL, Holmes has more potential with man coverage but has shown potential with zone schemes also. He has good speed and athleticism, and has shown an ability to make plays with eight interceptions, two forced fumbles, 17 pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns in his time at UCLA.

What prevents him being a top pick is his physicality. He isn’t a particularly tough tackler, has issues with run blocking and isn’t a particularly big fan of contact. This all adds up to more of a finesse player.

The 49ers need secondary depth and Holmes provides the type of versatility they like. They do need to teach him to be tougher for the pros, as he’s liable to get chewed up and spit out by offensive weapons if he’s too soft, but there’s no denying he’s a potential steal.

If San Francisco covet Holmes, they’ll need to trade back as he’s not a first-round pick but he is likely to be gone before they pick again much later. Right now, in this writer’s opinion, Holmes is a chance to be selected in the top 100 picks if he impresses further leading up to the draft.