The speculation is almost finished. But not quite.
At 5 p.m. PT tonight, the NFL Draft will commence, and the first-round picks of every team in the NFL will be revealed. Since it isn’t 5 p.m. yet, however, we have still more speculation to sift through.
ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay released their final mock drafts Thursday, and they disagree on whom the San Francisco 49ers will select with the No. 9 overall pick. While Kiper has the 49ers drafting Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, McShay has them drafting Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, according to David Fucillo of Niners Nation.
Kiper added that he sees Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith as a great fit for the 49ers, but he doesn’t think Smith he will be available at No. 9. Kiper has Smith going at No. 6 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Kiper also noted that he sees Ward as the top cornerback, and that is why he sees the 49ers drafting him.
McShay, on the other hand, praised Fitzpatrick, calling him “a heck of a football player,” according to Fucillo. McShay also surmised that Fitzpatrick could take the spot of departed safety Eric Reid in the 49ers’ defense.