© Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports
All of sudden, we are entering the home stretch of the NFL Draft. Day 3, the weirdest and longest of all days, is upon us, and with it, the 49ers’ remaining three picks: Round 5, Pick 156, Round 6, Pick 210, and Round 7, Pick 217. Here’s what they should, or could do.
Trade up for Bryce Hall
There’s no way Hall should be available this late, unless the medical on his fractured ankle was horrendous. I have to believe it isn’t a serious concern for teams, but if the 49ers’ medical staff is okay with where he’s at, the 49ers have to trade up for Hall. He is the absolute perfect successor to Richard Sherman, and wouldn’t need to be ready immediately. He was a consensus Round 1 talent in his junior year, when he led the nation with 21 pass breakups.
To get him, the 49ers will likely have to trade up to the top of Round 4, and there will likely be interest from other teams trying to do the same thing. An offer of next year’s third-round pick and the 49ers’ 210th pick may be enough to get it done, depending on the team. The inclusion of Marquise Goodwin or Matt Breida could also provide a sweetener. The Houston Texans have the fifth pick in the fourth round, and have no first or second-round picks next year. They could also use a third running back who’s not pass-oriented. Breida and the 49ers’ 2021 third, perhaps? The 49ers’ fifth and sixth this year, or fifth this year and fourth next year? Hey, it’s Bill O’Brien, maybe a 2021 fourth with Breida works.
Regardless of what it is, the cost, I believe, is worth it. From KNBR’s 49ers draft guide, here’s why Hall is such a good fit, especially in a secondary with five expiring contracts (Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon, K’Waun Williams, Jaquiski Tartt, Emmanuel Moseley – RFA):
In my mind, he’s the choice. He’s aggressive with his hands, but intelligent in avoiding penalties, tracks the ball as well as anyone in the draft, and again, led the nation in pass breakups in his junior season with 21. An absolutely top-notch tackler at the position and is described as a film rat. He is very, very similar to Richard Sherman. He played in a Cover 2 scheme in college, which defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has moved away from (using Cover 3), but isn’t foundationally dissimilar.
He seems to be very intelligent (scored a 27 out of 50 on the Wonderlic if that means anything), and is a self-confident, well-spoken individual. At the NFL Combine, he said he views himself as a top-10 or top-five pick, but that it’s best for him to go to the right situation. Asked what his best off-field talent is, Hall said “public speaking.” Asked what separates him from other corners, he was Sherman-esque.
“It’s the way I prepare, how serious I am in my preparations,” Hall said. “I feel like we’re all similar athletic-wise, but I think it’s my mind that takes me to a different place and how seriously I take this. That’s what I would say gives me an edge.”
The biggest concern with Hall is the fact that he is coming off a season-ending ankle fracture and appears to have hips. He’s clearly athletic, but doesn’t have the most fluidity. Yet, unlike some of the most fluid guys in the draft, he makes the plays because he reads quarterbacks intelligently, seems to understand and study opponents’ route concepts, and be able to adjust to the ball in the air and track it well. All very Sherman like. He’s projected to be an early third-rounder at this point, and I can’t think of any better player to study under Sherman.
This is not to say Hall is the only choice. I like Noah Igbinoghene as well, and he’s a more fluid prospect in how he flips his hips and plays the ball, but lacks as much acuity and natural instinct for the position. I see A.J. Terrell or Trevon Diggs as solid late first-round options, with Damon Arnette another prospect projected in Hall’s range. None would be poor picks, but Hall, to me, has the clear-cut best value.
Get a developmental replacement for Joe Staley
The 49ers passed on their chance to draft a replacement for Staley in Tristan Wirfs, but in doing so, they were addressing their two most immediate needs at defensive tackle and wide receiver. Tackle could still be the third or fourth-highest need, and there are some developmental options still on the board. Given that the 49ers tend to prefer the archetype of an athletic tackle with quick feet and strong hands, here are a few names:
Ben Bartch, St. Johns: Division III guy who was also included in the 49ers draft guide as a mid-to-late-round option, and who I had mocked to the 49ers with a theoretical third-round pick in a trade down. He has tremendous foot quickness, athleticism and speed, in part, because, like Daniel Brunskill, he converted from tight end to tackle. He needs to add strength and weight, and his main criticisms are the fact that he has short arms for the position (so does Brunskill) and is from Division III. But he performed well in the Senior Bowl and was given a rave review from head coach Bob Owens at my alma mater (Chapman University), who faced Bartch in the playoffs. If he gets to learn from Staley for a year, it could be a great choice, especially if he continues to fall. It may require a move to get him.
Jack Driscoll, Auburn:
Also looking forward to seeing Jack Driscoll at the East West Shrine tonight. @DraftNetworkLLC hold Driscoll in high esteem and I tend to agree. Definite upside.
RT #71 6’4” 300lbs could maybe do with a extra stone weight
Only gave up 8 pressures SR year at Auburn #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/Q19qcDBe51
— Neil the Irish Browns fan (@DIYDraftGuide) January 18, 2020
Like Bartch, Driscoll has short arms, but he’s an athletic freak who played at the very highest level and showed capability. He looked more fluid in his footwork and hand placement than teammate Prince Tega Wanogho. He’s being viewed by some as a guard, but he has the athleticism and size to play tackle, though he needs to get stronger.
Alex Taylor, South Carolina State: A large, raw tackle option. Has a crazy broad jump which will pique the 49ers’ attention along with his size. He clearly won’t be ready in year one, though, and will take at least a year to develop. He’d likely be a seventh-round option.
Charlie Heck, North Carolina: Another athletic tackle option, I liked what I saw from Heck on tape. He wasn’t anything eye-popping (which actually does happen with tackles), but more importantly, his form didn’t worry me like Taylor’s, or some of the other late-round prospects, like Alex Steele of Texas Tech. Like Driscoll, he’s quick and able to get to the second level well, but needs to get stronger. Unlike Driscoll, he’s got the adequate size for the position.
Draft another corner or versatile defensive back
Outside of Hall, there’s Amik Robertson of Lousiana Tech, Javaris Davis of Auburn, who should make an outstanding nickel in the league, Darnay Holmes of UCLA, the massive, man-to-man option of Lamar Jackson, and then a handful of other options that aren’t quite as enticing. There are some developmental, high-athleticism upside options like Kindle Vildor of Georgia Southern and Essang Bassey of Wake Forest.
The 49ers have also interviewed strong safety backup options like Daniel Thomas of Auburn, and there are other athletic options like L’Jarius Sneed, the teammate of Robertson, Josh Metellus of Michigan, and the under-the-radar Nigel Warrior of Tennessee, who was quietly very productive. The 49ers could use one of those athletic safeties like a linebacker, or go with a natural linebacker like Wake Forest’s Justin Strnad.
Draft a tight end
The Patriots took all the good tight ends. Seriously, taking UCLA’s Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene with consecutive picks? That’s just hoarding talent. This was a particularly sparse draft for tight ends, and the 49ers have been looking for another. Luckily, the Green Bay Packers, who are discernibly on a mission of self-sabotage, decided to go with Cincinnati’s Josiah Deguara, who is okay, but far close to a fifth-round prospect than a third-rounder. I had him ranked as the 10th-best tight end in the draft. He was the third.
After Cole Kmet, Asiasi and Keene were right up there in the same category as Adam Trautman. The only other tight end prospect in that category is Harrison Bryant of Florida Atlantic University, but he’s by far the least athletic, and doesn’t fit what the 49ers tend to look for physically in a prospect. The remaining options are… limited, with Randy Moss’ son maybe the best option.
Thaddeus Moss, LSU
Moss’ main criticism is that he’s undersized, but he’s a far better blocker than he’s given credit for, and does so more than willingly. Here’s the assessment from KNBR’s tight end breakdown:
Pros: Solid release, stocky frame to take contact. Is a willing blocker and has solid, low center of gravity strength and sticks with his assignment down the field. Reliable hands and crisp route running despite lack of elite athleticism. Very, very difficult to tackle and utilizes his frame.
Cons: Gets too high on blocks, struggles with any clever pass rush move, gets back on his heels. Fairly short for a tight end and seems to lack breakaway speed.
49ers fit: I will not be the one to bet against a guy with the last name Moss. Aside from that fact, Thaddeus Moss has high upside as a receiving tight end and the willingness and staunch frame as a blocker to improve there. I have a hard time believing he won’t at least be a serviceable tight end in the NFL. A really viable possession tight end.
Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State
Like Moss, Taumoepeau is undersized at the tight end position, but has some athleticism to him. He’s from an FCS school against lesser competition, and my issue with him is that he didn’t dominate there. He had 36 receptions for 474 yards and 2 TD. That’s not good enough at that level, especially in comparison to Trautman, who looked head and shoulders above everyone else.
Charlie Woerner, Georgia
This kid loves to block. He was a captain for Georgia and absolutely thrives on plowing through opponents in the run game. He’s got a little versatility to him, with some H-Back potential, but has very short arms. His production as a receiving tight end was almost nonexistent (34 total passes, 376 yards, 1 TD at Georgia), but his burst off the line provides cause for optimism that he could get himself open there. He does lack a little bit of wiggle, but he’s viewed as a seventh round or undrafted prospect, and his blocking upside might be worth it.
*Bonus name: Raymond Calais, running back, Lousiana-Lafayette. All five of the 49ers’ running backs are on expiring contracts (Jeff Wilson Jr. a restricted free agent), while San Francisco has five backs on the roster, and isn’t going to lose all of them, the pool of youth needs to be replenished, and Calais, with pure speed, return flexibility and the confidence to hit the hole at full speed, he’s what Kyle Shanahan looks for in a running back. Read about him here, in KNBR’s final mock draft.
