49ers NFL Draft: 3 first-round prospects who could fall into Round 2

No. 1: Running backs like Najee Harris tend to fall anyway

San Francisco should think about adding a running back in this year’s NFL Draft, particularly with runners Raheem Mostert, JaMycal Hasty and Jeff Wilson Jr. only under contract through 2021.

While head coach Kyle Shanahan has long since found and developed undervalued and unheralded tailbacks late in the draft, or even afterwards, Alabama’s Najee Harris might be worth a deeper look early in the draft.

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His three-touchdown game in the CFB Playoff Championship win over Ohio State helped push Harris into clear-cut first-round consideration.

Indeed, The Draft Network has Harris ranked at No. 22 overall on their big board.

Yet Pro Football Focus is a bit more bearish on this, ranking him at No. 65 overall. And it’s possible they’re considering the NFL’s recent trend of not investing Round 1 picks on running backs, rather focusing more on value picks at the position to be added later.

It’s not without recent precedent.

A year ago, Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins was widely viewed as a first-round talent and was safely in the discussion to be the first at his position selected on draft day. Except Dobbins slipped well into Round 2, eventually being taken by the Baltimore Ravens at No. 55 overall.

Harris wouldn’t even have to slip that far to be considered a hot second-round candidate for the 49ers.