Niner Noise keeps tabs on the San Francisco 49ers’ actions in the 2020 NFL Draft, breaking down each selection as it happens with grades and in-depth analysis.
The 2020 NFL Draft is of extreme importance to the San Francisco 49ers. While this is inherently true for every season, this year’s class will look to solve a number of key problems the defending NFC champions will face heading into a campaign where they look to keep their Super Bowl window open this season and beyond.
For weeks, there have been all kinds of speculation and rumors. Mock drafts, prospect fits and breakdowns have become the norm, only to see all that come to a crashing end on Thursday night when Round 1 of the NFL Draft kicks off.
General manager John Lynch entered the draft with seven picks at his disposal, including two in the first round. Yet the team didn’t have any selections between Rounds 2 through 4, which prompted a lot of talk of a would-be trade down at some/multiple points in the draft.
Entering the draft, the 49ers’ picks were as follows:
- Round 1, No. 13 overall (from Indianapolis)
- Round 1, No. 31 overall
- Round 5, No. 157 overall (from Denver)
- Round 5, No. 177 overall
- Round 6, No. 211 overall
- Round 7, No. 218 overall (from Detroit)
- Round 7, No. 246 overall
Two trades happened in Round 1, as the Niners moved down a spot from No. 13 overall, then up to No. 25 overall. And while Lynch was quiet on day two of the draft, day three was awfully active with trades, retirements and shakeups.
So, with the draft moving forward, Niner Noise tracks all of San Francisco’s moves throughout the draft, assigning grades and immediate analysis for each one of the team’s picks throughout the entirety of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 49ers started off Round 1 well enough, moving from the No. 13 overall pick down a spot via a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, netting a fourth-round selection while giving up a seventh-round pick back to the Bucs.
And with that selection, the Niners grabbed South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.
It’s an interesting choice. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb were both available for the taking, and San Francisco has needs at the position. And while the draft is awfully deep at wide receiver, those two were among the tops in a talented class.
On the positive side, the 49ers do end up replacing Buckner in about as good a situation they could, landing a player on a rookie deal with plenty of upside. And it isn’t as if Kinlaw is a poor choice. He has the upside of being a pocket-wrecking force, potentially busting open interior offensive lines like the Los Angeles Rams have enjoyed with their All-Pro defensive tackle, Aaron Donald.
Still, San Francisco has now grabbed a defensive linemen in each year except one, 2018, dating back to 2015.
There were better options available.
The 49ers weren’t done trading in Round 1, but few looked at the Niners being a trade-up candidate in the NFL Draft.
Yet that’s what happened towards the end of the round, as San Francisco moved up in a deal with the Minnesota Vikings for the No. 25 overall pick:
Niners traded picks 31, 117, 176 to Minnesota for 25, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 24, 2020
And with that selection, the 49ers grabbed Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk, a 6-foot-0, 205-pound receiver, hit the 4.50 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine and showed some jump-ball ability with a 40-inch vertical leap. His notably long arms are great at plucking balls away from his body. And despite relatively little production earlier in his college career, the progression and route-running development surely are positive enough.
San Francisco passed on some of the top receivers, yes. But Aiyuk is a nice consolation prize, and he seems to be the kind of player head coach Kyle Shanahan would want.
Well, the widget kind of works. But the 49ers executed yet another blockbuster deal, this time moving a 2020 fifth- and 2021 third-round draft choice to the Washington Redskins in exchange for veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams.
Williams, a perennial Pro Bowler, sat out last year hoping for a new contract. And if there was truth behind rumors Niners left tackle Joe Staley was intending to retire this offseason, Williams could get that extension with Staley’s contract coming off the books.
Staley no longer with the 49ers is something that’ll hurt the fanbase, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported retirement was the route Staley was taking.
This would be an A-plus move for sure, especially given the relatively low compensation given up. Williams hasn’t played in a year, though, which could be hindered further by any delay in offseason workouts and activities.
Still, it’s a low cost to give up those two picks for a player with plenty of proverbial “gas left in the tank.”
Still, it hurts seeing Staley calling it quits.
The 49ers made another blockbuster deal (sort of) on day three of the draft, sending away running back Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the No. 153 overall pick, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Breida appeared to fall out of favor with Kyle Shanahan late in 2019. And with a crowded running back room entering this season, it’s not a surprise to see the former undrafted free agent moved for some compensation even though the Niners applied a second-round restricted free-agent tender on him.
With the acquired pick, San Francisco then grabbed West Virginia offensive tackle Colton McKivitz.
The 6-foot-6 McKivitz has good value in Round 5, although the previous trade for Trent Williams alleviated any ideas of an immediate starting need. So does the fact the 49ers also have backup tackles Justin Skule, Daniel Brunskill and Shon Coleman on the roster.
Still, depth is good. And it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Brunskill start at guard, or even the Niners considering bumping McKivitz inside for added depth.
Remember, Williams hasn’t played in over a year.
The 49ers looked at a lot of tight ends during the offseason, both in free agency and also leading up to the NFL Draft.
San Francisco doesn’t need to replace the All-Pro, George Kittle, of course. But finding some depth behind Kittle would be a wise move, considering the team also lost its veteran, Levine Toilolo, in free agency to the New York Giants.
And to do this, the Niners brought in Georgia tight end Charlie Woerner at No. 190 overall after trading wide receiver Marquise Goodwin and their own Round 6 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to move up earlier in the round.
Woerner, 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, never reached 150 receiving yards in a single season with the Bulldogs, and that might not be his expected role at the pro level anyway. He’s much more of a blocking type, who also can serve as a fullback-type player and reserve to the starter there, Kyle Juszczyk.
The move shouldn’t endanger No. 2 tight end Ross Dwelley on the depth chart. But it does call into question whether or not fellow tight end Daniel Helm sticks around as the third option.
Overall, a good fit for a much-needed backup role.
In San Francisco’s final pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, Kyle Shanahan continued to reinforce his shortages at wide receiver by bringing aboard Tennessee’s Jauan Jennings at No. 217 overall.
Jennings had a rough NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.72 40-yard dash time and registering a low 29-inch vertical leap, the latter being quite surprising for a player with a 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame.
Despite the bad combine outing, which ultimately hurt his draft stock, Jennings was still awfully productive with the Volunteers in 2019, hauling in 59 catches for 969 yards and eight touchdowns.
Plus, the Niners still have some red-zone question marks, where size, physicality and separation skills tend to be more important than straight-line speed.
One can only hope the vertical leap was an anomaly.
It was weird to see San Francisco not address cornerback needs, particularly late in the draft. And there were names available. But Jennings was on the fringes of Rounds 4 or 5 before the combine, so getting him in Round 7 helps maximize the value on a player looking to contribute on the back end of the depth chart.
The 2020 NFL Draft kicked off on Thursday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET, and be sure to stay tuned to Niner Noise’s live draft tracker right here. We’ll break down and update each selection as it happens.