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For a team hungry for a game-changing edge rusher, the 49ers are fortunate that several of college football’s brightest will audition in their backyard Monday night. The upcoming National Championship game, played between Alabama and Clemson at Levi’s Stadium, boasts arguably the two top defenses in college football, replete with NFL talent.
The 49ers have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Throughout the upcoming months, their personnel department will study the college landscape for edge rushers, inside linebackers, safeties, and receivers to fill the roster’s holes in late April’s draft. It’s important to note the 49ers have just five draft picks. They do not have a fifth or seventh-round pick, as of today.
The 2019 National Championship offers some potential fits.
Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell, EDGE
Ferrell is one of the names associated with the 49ers at No. 2 overall. Contrary to another can’t-miss prospect like Kentucky’s Josh Allen, who has burst on the national scene amid one dominant season, Ferrell has been very good throughout the past three years. He has 27 sacks and 49 tackles for loss over that span. His production has steadily improved, with his best year coming his senior season: 11.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for a loss.
The big-bodied Ferrell may not be as explosive off the line as Allen or Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, considered this draft’s consensus top prospect, but the Clemson product is a well-balanced pass rusher who consistently gets to the quarterback. He has formed the most lethal 1-2 punch in the country with run-stopping defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, also a projected top-10 pick.
Ferrell should be on every 49ers fan’s radar Monday night.
Alabama’s Quinnen Williams, defensive tackle
Williams is another other top-10 defensive line prospect playing in this game. Many scouts dub Williams as a top-three player in the 2019 class.
He is a prototypical defensive tackle in today’s NFL, being that his quickness and pass-rush skills pose mismatches on the middle of the line. He had eight sacks and 18 tackles for loss this season.
The strength of the 49ers defensive line, however, lies in its interior. DeForest Buckner had his best career year, with 12 sacks. Arik Armstead, who stayed healthy for the first time in three years, was a run-stopping force. And Solomon Thomas clearly showed he’s better suited for the interior, rather than the edge.
Williams doesn’t perfectly fit the 49ers’ needs, but he’s considered a can’t-miss prospect that would bolster any defensive line.
Clemson’s Trayvon Mullen, cornerback
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R2Gfkoe6Mc
From a measurables standpoint, Mullen is the prototype in Robert Saleh’s Cover-3 scheme. The Clemson cornerback stands at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds. He works best in press and zone coverages, where he uses his physicality and length to disrupt opposing receivers.
Mullen, however, struggled to take the next step this season. The consensus is that he’s an athletic freak with first-round talent, but he’s raw. He is considered a mid-round selection.
The 49ers drafted Tarvarius Moore and signed undrafted Tarvarus McFadden with the ideas of grooming them under Richard Sherman. Mullen falls into that camp.
Alabama’s Anfernee Jennings, defensive end
Jennings, at 6-foot-3, 266 pounds, is an edge option with impressive strength and closing speed. He didn’t have a great season, however, posting 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. Production-wise, he was the fourth-best Alabama defensive lineman.
This one is about fit. Jennings could play the LEO, or weakside edge rush, spot in San Francisco’s 4-3 defense. Once a borderline first-rounder, it’s likely Jennings falls a bit on draft day due to his middling production. Yet that could change with a big performance Monday.
Alabama’s Isaiah Buggs, defensive end
Buggs led Alabama with 9.5 sacks this season. The 6-foot-4, 292-pounder has the versatility to line up all across the line, where he uses his strength to overwhelm opposing linemen.
Buggs may not fit the explosive, speedy LEO type in San Francisco’s scheme, but he’s an effective pass rusher who can plug in at several spots. He is projected as a Day-2 selection.
Clemson’s Austin Bryant, defensive end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzYuopje09w
Bryant is the lesser-known Clemson defensive end behind Ferrell. On a line comprised of soon-to-be NFL players, Bryant does not stand out much, though he posted consecutive seasons of 8.5 sacks and 14-plus tackles for loss. In a way, his lack of freakish physical ability is exposed because of the talent surrounding him.
Bryant, at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, is another big-bodied prospect who rarely misses tackles. He projects as a mid-round selection, potentially going as early as the second round. He could play SAM linebacker and move to the edge on nickel downs with the 49ers.
Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, defensive back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4U98IaPT8E
A disclaimer: you won’t see Diggs Monday night because he is still recovering from a broken foot he suffered in early October. Diggs, the brother of Minnesota star receiver Stephon, is a 6-foot-2, 199-pound athlete most recently used at safety. He led Alabama with six pass breakups this season prior to his injury.
Diggs will likely return to Alabama for his senior year, but if he doesn’t, he could be a late-round target for the 49ers, which don’t have much clarity at the safety positions entering 2019.
Oh, by the way…
This game has two quarterbacks who may go No. 1 overall in consecutive drafts in Alabama sophomore Tua Tagovailoa and Clemson freshman Trevor Lawrence.
Tagovailoa’s 2018 numbers are glistening: 3,671 yards, 41 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He finished No. 2 in Heisman Trophy voting last month. He is already in the conversation as the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft.
Lawrence was the No. 1 high school player in the 2018 class. Four games into this season, he assumed the starting role over Kelly Bryant, now a Missouri commit, and Lawrence quickly proved he was the better option. He has thrown for 2,933 yards, 27 touchdowns, and four touchdowns as a true freshman. Early projections have Lawrence going No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft, the first year he is eligible to turn professional. On Monday night, he will attempt what only three freshmen quarterbacks have ever done: beat Nick Saban.
