SF 49ers: Picking one 2021 Senior Bowl player for position needs

Niner Noise looks at Senior Bowl players who can fill each one of the SF 49ers roster needs in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl just wrapped up a very successful week of football in preparation for this year’s NFL Draft.

With the pandemic wreaking havoc on NFL teams’ plans to evaluate talent from college football and potentially reimagine the setup and process of the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine, the Senior Bowl provided a chance for scouts, media, and other team reps to get a first-hand look at the best of the senior class in college football from 2020.

And the players did not disappoint.

While some practice standouts did not play in the game for a variety of reasons, including the likes of Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, the proverbial cupboards were not bare in the talent department.

With previous recent standouts, including quarterbacks like the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, the LA Chargers’ Justin Herbert, and the NY Giants’ Daniel Jones, the Senior Bowl can serve as a jumping-off point for players who may not have had a spotlight on them during their college careers. Many see their draft stock rise or fall following Senior Bowl week.

The National team ended up with a 27-24 victory over the American team, but the game showcased quite a few players on both teams whom the SF 49ers could target at different points of the upcoming NFL Draft.

With a league-wide shrinking salary cap due to the pandemic, this upcoming draft takes on added importance for all teams, but even moreso for those pushing up against the cap’s limits.

The Niners will certaintly fall into that category, and with potential needs at cornerback, safety, offensive line, EDGE, and a second big red-zone target to pair with tight end George Kittle, replenishing holes in their roster will take some work.

So without further adieu, we look at players San Francisco could target from the Senior Bowl for each positional need on its roster.