49ers Seven-Round Mock Draft
The past week, I’ve given the 49ers all my best draft suggestions: Who to take at pick 13. Who NOT take at pick 13. Who to take at pick 31. Who not to take. And so on.
It’s important to remember the 49ers almost never take my suggestions and usually do the exact opposite of what I recommend.
With that in mind, here is my best attempt to think like general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, and predict the picks they will make in the upcoming draft:
Round 1, pick 13: Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia. Most fans want the 49ers to take a wide receiver. I want them to take Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson. But I doubt the 49ers will spend a first-round pick on a wide receiver or a cornerback, because players at those positions bust frequently.
Offensive tackles are much safer to take in Round 1. And the 49ers might want an elite left-tackle prospect to replace Joe Staley, who will turn 36 in August. The 49ers probably won’t own a top-15 pick for the next few seasons -- they have a good roster and should pick near the end of Round 1 the next few years. This year might be the 49ers’ last chance for a while to draft an elite left tackle.
I believe the 49ers would take any of the top-four tackle prospects -- Thomas, Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr. or Louisville’s Mekhi Becton. Of those four, Thomas seems the most likely to fall to pick 13. So that’s the player the 49ers probably will take.
If you find this selection underwhelming, so do I. But the 49ers deserve the benefit of the doubt if they take an offensive lineman, because they drafted well last year.
TRADE: Pick 31 to the Los Angeles Chargers for picks 37 and 112.
The 49ers have no draft picks between Rounds 1 and 5, so they will trade down six spots to pick up an early fourth-rounder from the Chargers.
Round 2, pick 37: Jordan Elliot, DT, Missouri. After trading down, the 49ers could take a wide receiver or a cornerback. I would take wide receiver Denzel Mims.
But the 49ers have taken wide receivers in the second round of the past two drafts. They took Dante Pettis with the 44th pick in 2018, and Deebo Samuel with the 36th pick in 2019.
The 49ers might feel they have bigger needs at defensive tackle, because they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts. So the 49ers could draft the best defensive tackle available with the 37th pick -- Elliott. He’s big and strong and can start right away. Another safe, conservative move.
Round 4, pick 112: Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina. Now, the 49ers get their wide receiver.
Edwards played alongside Deebo Samuel in college, and the two complemented each other. Samuel was the gadget receiver who ran reverses and screens and slant routes. And Edwards was the tough, big-bodied receiver who ran post routes and dig routes and made difficult catches while running across the middle.
The 49ers don’t have a receiver like Edwards. He would compete with Kendrick Bourne to start next to Samuel next season.
Round 5, pick 156: Michael Ojemudia, CB, Iowa. The 49ers typically don’t draft premium cornerback prospects. They draft corners with certain specific athletic traits who are available in the middle rounds. Then the 49ers teach them to play zone coverage.
Ojemudia has all the traits the 49ers look for. He’s tall (6’1”), fast (4.45 40), quick (6.87 3-cone), explosive (36-inch vertical) and has long arms (32 ¼ inches). He most likely will be the 49ers’ next cornerback project.
Round 5, pick 176: Dalton Keene, TE/FB, Virginia Tech. When the 49ers took Jalen Hurd in the third round last year, Shanahan said, “He got drafted as an NFL receiver, kind of.” Shanahan also said Hurd could have gotten drafted as a running back or a tight end.
Shanahan wants Hurd to be a versatile weapon and a key member of the offense. But Hurd fractured his back last year and missed the entire season. Will his back hold up next season? Who knows?
The 49ers need another versatile offensive weapon in case Hurd doesn’t make a full recovery. Meaning they could take Keene, who can play tight end, H-back and even full back. Keense potentially could replace Kyle Juszczyk in 2021 when Juszczyk becomes a free agent.
Round 6, pick 210: Easop Winston Jr., WR, Washington State. Emmanuel Sanders was the 49ers’ slot receiver last season, but he recently signed with the Saints. The 49ers also have Trent Taylor, who hasn’t been fully healthy since 2017.
The 49ers need another slot receiver in case Taylor gets injured again. Winston Jr. is a slot receiver who rarely drops a pass, plus he’s fast enough to play outside -- he ran a 4.42 at his Virtual Pro Day. He’s good enough to play as a rookie.
Round 6, pick 217: Michael Onwenu, G Michigan. The 49ers could use another offensive lineman to compete with Tom Compton and Daniel Brunskill at right guard. Onwenu played in a run-first offense and learned lots of NFL blocking techniques under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Round 7, pick 245: Reid Harrison-Ducros, CB, Duquesne. Nickelback K’Waun Williams will be a free agent in 2021, and the 49ers don’t have an heir apparent. His backup currently is Jimmie Ward, the starting free safety. The 49ers need another nickelback.
Harrison-Ducros is a quality nickel. The NFL didn’t invite him to the Combine, but he held his own Virtual Pro Day where he ran a 4.39 40, a 3.85 20-yard shuttle and a 6.42 3-cone. These times would have been among the best at the Combine. Harrison-Ducros is a small-school prospect with big-time potential and the 49ers can get him with their last pick. Not too shabby.
