We look forward to this time of year, every year, as we love to put our sports knowledge and predictability to the test.
It's important to note that we have had least one guy from our mock drafts the past three seasons, actually get drafted by the 49ers.
2017 - Solomon Thomas - DL (1st rd); 2016 - Rashard Robinson - CB (4th rd.); 2015 - Jaquiski Tartt - S (2nd rd.)
Remember, this is what we think will happen based upon the team needs and who we believe will still be there when the 49ers are on the clock for each one of their picks, barring any trades.
Without further ado, here is our Smith Fam Mock Draft...
Round 1. 9th pick overall: Der"win" James (S) - Florida State = Just because Jimmy G. led us to a fantastic 5-0 finish at the end of the year, does not mean that we're now Super Bowl favorites...we still have a lot of holes to fill, mostly on defense...so we went with a guy that can fill almost each one of those defensive holes and needs with his versatility...James does it all with his athleticism. His leadership, physicality, and speed makes him the jack of all trades...a perfect candidate to play safety, cover as a corner, and be able to rush the quarterback off the edge at the line of scrimmage...2nd team All-American, 84 tackles, 5.5 tfl, 2 int's, 11 pass break ups, 1 blk kick last yr.
Round 2. 41st pick overall: JIMMY G. (Thank You Hoodie!) (Trade from New England last year)
Round 2. 59th pick overall: Lorenzo Carter (LB/EDGE) - Georgia = While mentioned above that James can be valuable blitzing off the edge, his talent will mostly translate as a stud defensive back...with that being said, & while we're all waiting to hear about the legal issues of Reuben Foster, we decided that drafting a true edge rusher and another linebacker is of importance...Landry out of BC will have been gone at this point, and the next best prospect we saw was Carter...He crushed the combine in every category (4.5 40, 36 inch vert, 130 inch broad jump)...his length at 6'6 will allow him to be a disruptive force...61 tackles, 4.5 sacks, team-high 3 forced fumbles last yr.
Round 3. 70th pick overall: Nick Chubb (RB) - Georgia = The Bulldogs have always been known to produce good running backs (Herschel Walker, Terrell Davis, Todd Gurley) and this year, they have two good rb's in Chubb and Sony Michel. Michel will get drafted in the 2nd round, and the 49ers need more of a stronger, well built ball carrier, to pair with the speedy free agent signing in Jerick "The Jet" McKinnon...Chubb was phenomenal as a true freshman, first-team all SEC, 219 carries for 1,547 yds & 14 TD's...had a streak of 13 straight 100 yd games until suffering a horrific knee injury...bounced back and showed grit in sr. season...223 carries, 1,345 yds, & 15 TD's.
Round 3. 74th pick overall: D.J. Chark (WR) - LSU = With Georgia being "Running Backs U", LSU can easily be "Wide Receivers U" as they have produced 15 WR draft picks (Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Sterling Shepard, etc.) in the last 15 years, tied w/ Ohio State for most in the nation during that span...Chark has better speed (4.34 40) than the guys previously listed, with a knack for the home run play on deep balls...and at 6'3, he can go up and get it against most defenders, which makes him a red zone threat...needs to get a little stronger for his height and better at running more types of routes...can also provide value as a punt returner.
Round 4. 128th pick overall: Equanimeous St. Brown (WR) - Notre Dame = 49ers stick with drafting WR's that can make an impact in the red zone, and so with St. Brown still available in the 4th, it was a no-brainer to draft him...6'5, 33 inch arms, and 9 3/4 hands, enough said...lol...comes from athletic family with his dad being known as a legitimate weightlifter...has the size and speed that NFL coaches dream of...but his competitiveness against physical corner backs needs to improve.
Round 5. 143rd pick overall: Will Richardson (OT) - NC State = With Joe Staley close to retirement, and no legitimate backup tackle in the fold, 49ers take a chance on an offensive lineman with huge potential...Richardson had an up and down college career...On the field, he's been awesome, garnering 2nd team All ACC honors this past season as a junior...However, character issues are a concern after being caught twice with driving while intoxicated.
Round 6. 184th pick overall: Holton Hill (CB) - Texas = Just like our previous selection in Richardson, Holton Hill has 4th round talent, but due to character issues, his stock drops...he has the size (6'3), the speed (4.49 40) and the strength (14 bench press) to make for a very productive corner back in the NFL against big WR's...a big problem has been a lack of maturity displayed during his time in college...coaches want to know that he'll take this opportunity seriously.
Round 7. 223rd pick overall: David Wells (TE) - San Diego State = Best run-blocking TE in the draft...helped pave the way for the nation's leading rusher Rashaad Penny...Similar to former 49ers TE Blake "Belldozer" Bell in that he was a former QB, however Bell was a pass catching TE with no blocking ability and Wells is a blocking TE with room to improve as a pass catcher...Speed is not his friend.
Round 7. 240th pick overall: Jack Cichy (LB) - Wisconsin = When healthy, the instincts on this guy reminds you of fellow Wisconsin Badger and ex-49er Chris Borland...can provide spark as a special teams ace.
In closing, with the new regime in its second year, and the moves they've made already between last years's draft and this year's trades and free agency pickups, the San Francisco 49ers take another step closer towards hoisting their 6th Lombardi Trophy!
Please comment below and let us know what you think of our draft!
[ Edited by smithfam49ers on Apr 10, 2018 at 8:08 PM ]
