49ers post-free agency 7-round 2020 mock NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t make huge splashes in free agency, but there were some notable changes which will influence their actions in this 2020 NFL Draft mock.
“Keeping the band together” seemed to be the San Francisco 49ers‘ primary objective early this offseason, although even that approach resulted in some notable changes.
Chief among these was the loss of veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders to the New Orleans Saints in NFL free agency, as well as the blockbuster trade which sent 2018 Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Niners didn’t bring in top-tier upgrades in free agency, unless one counts veteran offensive guard Tom Compton as such a piece. But general manager John Lynch was able to use the cap space generated by trading Buckner to re-sign defensive end Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward to new deals.
With Ward back, the need to find an immediate contributor at safety lessens a lot for this year’s draft. Yet Sanders’ departure pushes San Francisco’s need for more wide receiver help right to the top of the offseason priority list.
Good thing that No. 13 overall pick is there now.
Armed with two picks in Round 1, the other being the Niners’ own, No. 31 overall, Lynch and Co. have a shot at landing two impact players right away who can help keep the team’s Super Bowl window open for much longer.
It’s likely the 49ers’ actions in free agency will be limited to mere depth and role signings from this point forward. So with all attention now focused on the draft, Niner Noise dishes out our first post-free agency mock for all seven rounds.
No trades this time… those will come in later mocks.