MBA's 2020 Mock Draft Ver 4.0 Post Combine edition

After the Combine, the prevailing opinion is the Niners need more draft capital to maintain their Super Bowl level roster and stay under the cap. There are about 5 teams with multiple picks on day two so the Niners will trade down with a team who is looking to get a 5th year option on an additional pick. Here is the best trade that John Chapman proposed on Twitter:

#Jets get #31 + #156 49ers get #48 + #68 + #117

The player ratings are based on the CBS Sports prospect rankings as of today. This is not a full offseason plan including free agent signings, but I will make some assumptions about who stays and who goes.

The Niners don't have any glaring needs but here are the major changes to the roster that I can foresee. As of today, I think the Niners will try to keep Armstead for up to three years on a team friendly deal. Tevin Coleman, Marquise Goodwin and Solomon Thomas will be traded for late round picks or cut for salary cap purposes. Ward and Sanders look like they will sign elsewhere for bigger money than the Niners can offer. Kittle, DJ Jones, Blair and Buckner will be re-signed to extensions. McKinnon will be offered an incentive laden deal to finally fill the role Shanahan envisioned for him when they signed him. Brieda may walk after they put him on a low tender deal. That leaves the following needs to be addressed in the draft:

S
Interior Offensive Line
CB
Edge
WR
TE
RB

Picks
Round 2 Pick 48 Antoine Winfield Jr. FS Minnesota - ballhawk who showed more athleticism than expected at the Combine.
Round 3 Pick 68 Cesar Ruiz IOL Michigan - someone to eventually take over for Person or Richburg; no change here.
Round 4 Pick 107 Lynn Bowden Jr. WR/RB/OW Kentucky - do it all OW in the Deebo Samuel mode with KR skills, too.
Round 5 Pick 177 Darryton Evans RB Appalachian St - looks like Matt Breida 2.0; one cut, zone scheme runner with burst
Round 6 Pick 190 Alex Highsmith Edge Charlotte - edge rusher to either replace Blair or just bolster the pass rush
Round 7 Pick 194 Reggie Robinson II CB Tulsa- long term insurance for Sherm
Round 7 Pick 223 Josiah Deguara FB/TE Cincinnati - versatile blocker and pass catcher who can play FB or TE

Your thoughts................

I think we need to take a CB higher than 7th round. I like your taking an IOL early.

We really need another pick in the second or third to grab a CB

Originally posted by CardinalGold:

I think we need to take a CB higher than 7th round. I like your taking an IOL early.

We really need another pick in the second or third to grab a CB

Point taken. Since I'm assuming that Ward is gone, I prioritized Safety over CB. I really debated taking Damon Arnette from Ohio State with that first pick over Winfield.

That's really good I agree with most all of it. One thing I believe will happen is we will only lose one starter between Sanders and Ward, I think Moore will start and take over for Ward or we will draft a safety in the second or third round.

Also, I know our team still likes Witherspoon a little bit so if we do draft a corner very high, I don't know if he's going to be able to start for at least a year. The center guard in my opinion is the most pressing need for this team. Ruiz will not last that long so I hope he's our first or second pick

I can't see Ruiz dropping to the 3rd.

I'm on the start Moore bandwagon vs drafting a S early as well.

Like to go in another direction at WR

Originally posted by NYniner85:

I can't see Ruiz dropping to the 3rd.

I'm on the start Moore bandwagon vs drafting a S early as well.

Like to go in another direction at WR

You're probably right so I would take Hennessy as a backup option.

Which WR would you go with in the 4th round? I thought about Mims in my other mock, but I don't think he gets past the Packers in the late first after his Senior Bowl and Combine workouts.

Originally posted by m_brockalexander:
After the Combine, the prevailing opinion is the Niners need more draft capital to maintain their Super Bowl level roster and stay under the cap. There are about 5 teams with multiple picks on day two so the Niners will trade down with a team who is looking to get a 5th year option on an additional pick. Here is the best trade that John Chapman proposed on Twitter:

#Jets get #31 + #156 49ers get #48 + #68 + #117

The player ratings are based on the CBS Sports prospect rankings as of today. This is not a full offseason plan including free agent signings, but I will make some assumptions about who stays and who goes.

The Niners don't have any glaring needs but here are the major changes to the roster that I can foresee. As of today, I think the Niners will try to keep Armstead for up to three years on a team friendly deal. Tevin Coleman, Marquise Goodwin and Solomon Thomas will be traded for late round picks or cut for salary cap purposes. Ward and Sanders look like they will sign elsewhere for bigger money than the Niners can offer. Kittle, DJ Jones, Blair and Buckner will be re-signed to extensions. McKinnon will be offered an incentive laden deal to finally fill the role Shanahan envisioned for him when they signed him. Brieda may walk after they put him on a low tender deal. That leaves the following needs to be addressed in the draft:

S
Interior Offensive Line
CB
Edge
WR
TE
RB

Picks
Round 2 Pick 48 Antoine Winfield Jr. FS Minnesota - ballhawk who showed more athleticism than expected at the Combine.
Round 3 Pick 68 Cesar Ruiz IOL Michigan - someone to eventually take over for Person or Richburg; no change here.
Round 4 Pick 107 Lynn Bowden Jr. WR/RB/OW Kentucky - do it all OW in the Deebo Samuel mode with KR skills, too.
Round 5 Pick 177 Darryton Evans RB Appalachian St - looks like Matt Breida 2.0; one cut, zone scheme runner with burst
Round 6 Pick 190 Alex Highsmith Edge Charlotte - edge rusher to either replace Blair or just bolster the pass rush
Round 7 Pick 194 Reggie Robinson II CB Tulsa- long term insurance for Sherm
Round 7 Pick 223 Josiah Deguara FB/TE Cincinnati - versatile blocker and pass catcher who can play FB or TE

Your thoughts................

I like the strategy, players, and positions, but don't necessarily think we need another Deebo unless we can somehow get another pick and add a Goodwin replacement.

Originally posted by LifelongNiner:

Originally posted by m_brockalexander:

After the Combine, the prevailing opinion is the Niners need more draft capital to maintain their Super Bowl level roster and stay under the cap. There are about 5 teams with multiple picks on day two so the Niners will trade down with a team who is looking to get a 5th year option on an additional pick. Here is the best trade that John Chapman proposed on Twitter:

#Jets get #31 + #156 49ers get #48 + #68 + #117

The player ratings are based on the CBS Sports prospect rankings as of today. This is not a full offseason plan including free agent signings, but I will make some assumptions about who stays and who goes.

The Niners don't have any glaring needs but here are the major changes to the roster that I can foresee. As of today, I think the Niners will try to keep Armstead for up to three years on a team friendly deal. Tevin Coleman, Marquise Goodwin and Solomon Thomas will be traded for late round picks or cut for salary cap purposes. Ward and Sanders look like they will sign elsewhere for bigger money than the Niners can offer. Kittle, DJ Jones, Blair and Buckner will be re-signed to extensions. McKinnon will be offered an incentive laden deal to finally fill the role Shanahan envisioned for him when they signed him. Brieda may walk after they put him on a low tender deal. That leaves the following needs to be addressed in the draft:

S
Interior Offensive Line
CB
Edge
WR
TE
RB

Picks
Round 2 Pick 48 Antoine Winfield Jr. FS Minnesota - ballhawk who showed more athleticism than expected at the Combine.
Round 3 Pick 68 Cesar Ruiz IOL Michigan - someone to eventually take over for Person or Richburg; no change here.
Round 4 Pick 107 Lynn Bowden Jr. WR/RB/OW Kentucky - do it all OW in the Deebo Samuel mode with KR skills, too.
Round 5 Pick 177 Darryton Evans RB Appalachian St - looks like Matt Breida 2.0; one cut, zone scheme runner with burst
Round 6 Pick 190 Alex Highsmith Edge Charlotte - edge rusher to either replace Blair or just bolster the pass rush
Round 7 Pick 194 Reggie Robinson II CB Tulsa- long term insurance for Sherm
Round 7 Pick 223 Josiah Deguara FB/TE Cincinnati - versatile blocker and pass catcher who can play FB or TE

Your thoughts................

I like the strategy, players, and positions, but don't necessarily think we need another Deebo unless we can somehow get another pick and add a Goodwin replacement.

That's reasonable. I would like to get a #1 type WR to replace either Goodwin or Sanders. If McKinnon finally comes back healthy, he could play the role that I was drafting Bowden for. Drafting Mims was the plan early on, but he's not going to make it out of the first round anymore.

Ruiz is IOL1 in this draft. He might not make it out of the first. Can't disagree with any of your free agency takes. Let's start Moore and draft depth. I think WR or IOL are our first priority. Obviously Sherman needs a longterm replacement but so does Staley. And Armstead in this scenario. We definitely need to trade down. If we can get two starters and depth at a few spots I'll take it.

I like Bowden but I've seen him ranked in the 200's and in the 2nd round. But he's not high on any WR rankings I've seen

Originally posted by davidboutte:

Ruiz is IOL1 in this draft. He might not make it out of the first. Can't disagree with any of your free agency takes. Let's start Moore and draft depth. I think WR or IOL are our first priority. Obviously Sherman needs a longterm replacement but so does Staley. And Armstead in this scenario. We definitely need to trade down. If we can get two starters and depth at a few spots I'll take it.

I like Bowden but I've seen him ranked in the 200's and in the 2nd round. But he's not high on any WR rankings I've seen

Thanks for the feedback. I think the trade downs are inevitable as the Niners need to restock with more cost controlled talent to keep this roster talented and affordable.

Regarding Ruiz, that may happen and if it does I would take Matt Hennessy from Temple in a heartbeat to replace him, but not in round 2.

I took Bowden in the fourth as kind of a Deebo 2.0 pick, but I would rather have taken a #1 WR like Mims early. He's just not going to make it out of the first IMO.

Originally posted by NYniner85:
I can't see Ruiz dropping to the 3rd.

I'm on the start Moore bandwagon vs drafting a S early as well.

Like to go in another direction at WR

If not Ruiz, than Matt Hennessy or Nick Harris at that spot would do nicely.

Looking back on this, you are right about the WR options in the 4th round. If you look at different big boards, guys like Antonio Gandy-Golden, KJ Hill, James Proche, Van Jefferson, Collin Johnson or Gabriel Davis would be available in the 4th. Even someone like Donovan Peoples-Jones might slip this far and he would be an intriguing option in Shanny's offense.