San Francisco 49ers: Post-scouting combine 2020 mock NFL Draft

The 49ers already have elite-level pass-rushers in Dee Ford and Nick Bosa. But when a team thinks it has enough pass-rushers, it’s always a good idea to add another.

Especially if Ronald Blair leaves in free agency.

Depth pieces are still vital, and that’s essentially what Minnesota EDGE Carter Coughlin would likely be at the next level. He might have been better coming out in the 2019 NFL Draft after a decent 9.5-sack campaign. Yet he stayed behind, ultimately settling in a less-productive senior season, which arguably hurt his draft stock.

Another thing keeping Coughlin from being anything more than a late-round pick is his size. At 6-foot-3 and 236 pounds, Coughlin isn’t going to win too many one-on-one battles against NFL-level offensive tackles. But he does play with a relentless motor, which has generally allowed him to succeed against bigger blockers at the college level.

It wasn’t totally uncommon to see him used in small-role coverage situations either.

The ability to double on special teams and take advantage of what would likely be no more than situational defensive roles will be essential in Coughlin’s success at the NFL level.