The San Francisco 49ers have seven draft picks in next month’s NFL Draft, but they are only in Rounds 1 through 4.
That may actually be perfect because this year’s draft class is not thought of as being especially deep.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently wrote about how most of the NFL views this class:
"The general consensus is that this isn’t a great draft. It’s deep at some positions — receiver, edge rusher and tight end — but peters out toward the end."
That’s good news for the 49ers.
They have a pick in the first round, one in the second round, and then a whopping four picks in the fourth round. Three of those picks are compensatory, so that one round alone could actually make or break San Francisco's draft.
The Niners did have a pick in the third round, but they traded that one away to get Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, which is probably a smart move, given the fact they need to get better in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
The fact San Francisco doesn't have a third-round pick is good based on history, since the team’s third-round picks under the John Lynch-Kyle Shanahan regime have been pretty bad with a few notable exceptions.
The fifth round has historically been great for the 49ers under the current regime. George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, and Deommodore Lenoir were all fifth-round picks, so it’s unfortunate San Francisco cannot work its magic this time around.
Of course, there is a chance San Francisco could swing a trade or two to try and get more picks in Rounds 5 through 7. The 49ers are clearly still trying to see if any team will give them something for wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, although the prospects of that seem grim at best.
Maybe the Niners will remain content with the picks they have, given the relative strength of this year’s draft class. There are still some holes to fill, so Lynch and Co. have to hope they get the six picks they do have right so San Francisco is in a good place heading into next season.
Wide receiver and edge rusher seem like two obvious areas to address in the draft, so the Niners will probably try to address those needs. And don't be shocked if they go after a tight end to give them some more depth at the position with George Kittle's status uncertain.