49ers NFL Draft: 5 best players to target in Round 2

49ers Round 2 Target No. 2: EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest

There are easily two or three other solid wide receiver targets San Francisco could go after in Round 2, which speaks to the depth of that positional class in this year’s draft.

The edge-rushing class is deep, too, although there are far fewer prospects who are anticipated to make a legitimate impact at the NFL level. Bluntly put, this year’s EDGEs have far more question marks than wide receivers entering the draft.

One of those is Wake Forest EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., who could have been a first-round draft candidate had he declared after his 10-sack season in 2019. Yet he elected to stick around for one more year, which arguably hurt his draft stock. Basham’s overall level of play left a bit to be desired, as the physicality and pass-rushing violence didn’t show up the same way it looked the previous year.

That said, Basham still finished last year with five sacks over six games, and it’s important to note he has the intangible tools and build to become a quality pass-rusher at the next level.

At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he’ll need to hone his technique and add some functional strength, which might need to come by shedding a few pounds.

From the 49ers’ perspective, they need a quality young pass-rusher to pair with third-year pro Nick Bosa. And even if Basham takes a year or two to develop, he’d be worth the investment now.