49ers: 2020 NFL Draft 7-round mock going all defense

2020 NFL Draft: 7-round 49ers mock going all defense

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 25: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stands at the podium during a moment of silence for the victims and those others affected by the Bombing at the Boston Marathon in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 25, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

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Defensive end Nick Coe #91 of the Auburn Tigers (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

842. . EDGE. Tigers . Nick Coe. 176. player

Another theme about late-round picks is targeting players who have a lot of potential upside but haven’t necessarily reached the complete sum of their parts.

Such could describe Auburn EDGE Nick Coe, who played a number of positions for the Tigers for the past three seasons, including an impressive seven-sack campaign in 2018. That year produced Coe’s best collegiate year, and his stats fell off a lot last season.

One of the reasons is possibly Coe bouncing around, which is great for flexibility and versatility, but it’s not always the best for development.

Coe relied heavily on a bull-rush move in college, and he’ll need to develop his pass-rushing arsenal to secure a role as even a situational pass-rusher at the pro level. As 2018 showed, however, Coe can win when his bull rush is working well and he’s going up against less-quality linemen.

As far as the 49ers need goes, the team lost defensive tackle Sheldon Day to free agency, and defensive end Ronald Blair is coming off an ACL tear.

Coe would be competing and reinforcing some of the situational depth the Niners now find themselves having entering 2020.