The pick seems to be a popular one for the 49ers among ESPN draft analysts. Todd McShay also had San Francisco selecting Ward within his latest mock.
While the 49ers' draft spot will be determined by a coin flip with the Oakland Raiders during the NFL Scouting Combine, Kiper has them selecting ninth overall. They could be choosing tenth if they lose the tiebreaker.
Kiper wrote the following about the selection:
"No change for the 49ers here, as Ward would give them a true No. 1 cornerback on top of a super talented front seven. Ward is polished, though he's not huge (5-10, 191) like 6-2 Ahkello Witherspoon, San Francisco's third-round pick last year. Ward had two interceptions and 15 pass breakups in 2017, and he plays the ball well and has good instincts."
Ward, who is an underclassman, has appeared in 26 games over three seasons with Ohio State. During that time, he has 67 combined tackles, two for a loss, two interceptions, and 24 passes defensed, according to Sports Reference.
As Kiper mentioned, Witherspoon, one of the 49ers' starting cornerbacks, completed his rookie season in 2017. The other starter, Dontae Johnson, is scheduled to become a free agent. After a season of erratic play within defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's system, he is not expected to be re-signed.
The 2018 NFL Draft takes place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It will be the first draft to take place in an NFL stadium.
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers an abomination? GM John Lynch says team has been undisciplined, not "playing clean"
Someone has stolen the San Francisco 49ers and replaced them with a team that looks like a shell of its old self. The 2024 version of the defending NFC Champions is stale, sloppy, and prone to playing down to its opponent. Not surprisingly, the 49ers currently stand at 5-6 and... -
49ers frozen in Buffalo: Rapid reactions
Well, that wasn't fun. The San Francisco 49ers looked like they were cooking early in the game, but eventually, the Buffalo Bills cooled them off and the frozen 49ers returned, losing 35-10. Sadly, the game wasn't even that close. The Bills put in their backups and the 49ers... -
Brock Purdy throwing at 49ers practice on Friday; No Trent Williams or Nick Bosa
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy appears to be making strides in his recovery from a shoulder injury. During the portion of Friday's practice open to the media, Purdy was seen throwing—a notable improvement after limited activity earlier in the week. Unlike... -
49ers announce roster moves ahead of Week 13 Friday practice
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez to the practice squad. To make room on the practice squad, the team released offensive lineman Cameron Erving. The 49ers Communications staff provided the following rundown. Gutierrez...