49ers get Henry Ruggs III, Noah Igbinoghene in NFL Mocks latest mock draft

The folks over at NFL Mocks dished out a mock draft where the San Francisco 49ers land their two biggest needs: a playmaking wide receiver and a solid cornerback.

Things have changed for the San Francisco 49ers after trading away Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Now armed with the 13th and 31st overall picks in April’s draft, general manager John Lynch has far more striking power than he did before the Buckner trade. One of the main benefits is the Niners will now have a shot at some of the elite-level wide receivers in what’s shaping up to be an elite-level wide receiver draft class.

And that’s precisely what our friends over at FanSided’s NFL Mocks think the 49ers will do with their first pick.

NFL Mocks’ latest mock draft, breaking down Round 1 after a flurry of trades and free agency moves across the league, suggests San Francisco will grab Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III at No. 13 overall:

"With Emmanuel Sanders leaving for New Orleans this gives Jimmy Garoppolo a young dynamic playmaker to throw to. The 49ers also have Deebo Samuel, making this one of most dynamic wide receiver duos in the entire NFL."

Despite playing second fiddle to his former Crimson Tide teammate, Jerry Jeudy, the 5-foot-11 Ruggs might be the more explosive of the two.

For what it’s worth, Jeudy went No. 12 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders in this mock draft.

But Ruggs exploded with a 4.27 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, showcasing the speed head coach Kyle Shanahan loves. And with wide receiver Marquise Goodwin not much of a factor the last two years, getting a deep-field threat is something which can benefit San Francisco in a number of ways.

With their second pick in Round 1, NFL Mocks suggests the Niners will grab Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.

The 5-foot-10 Igbinoghene hasn’t been thrown around in San Francisco draft chatter much, probably due to his nickel-ish size, and the Niners don’t particularly need another one of those with K’Waun Williams playing so well.

Still, NFL Mocks makes a strong case:

"The San Francisco 49ers were close to winning the Super Bowl but coughed up the lead to Pat Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. If the 49ers want to get back in position to win a championship,  they’ll have to upgrade their secondary. The Niners select Noah Igbinoghene in this 2020 NFL Draft scenario, who is an athletic and physical cornerback that still has a lot of room to grow. He could come in and learn the ropes from one of the best to do it, Richard Sherman."

Igbinoghene makes up for his lack of size with extreme physicality, which allows him to play bigger than his frame would otherwise suggest.

This would be a bonus, as San Francisco doesn’t have a clear-cut answer to replace Sherman, and it’s highly likely the team seeks an upgrade over corners Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley.

Moseley surrendered that touchdown to Mahomes in the Super Bowl, although the former could be in position to at least compete for a starting job in 2020.

NFL Mocks’ second pick might be somewhat out of the box, although the positional need makes a lot of sense.

At least the Ruggs selection was spot on, though.