Who Will the San Francisco 49ers Take in the 2015 NFL Draft?
The San Francisco 49ers‘ 2014-15 season ended up going not how the team, coaches, management, and fans wanted it to go. It was a rollercoaster with a lot less ups than downs. The offseason was almost just as worst.
The 49ers lost multiple key players that had been big in their past success. They lost some of their best offensive players to free agency, such as the franchises all-time leading rusher Frank Gore and one of their best receivers in Michael Crabtree.
There was the departure of seven-time Pro Bowler, defensive anchor, and leader, Patrick Willis. They also lost Chris Culliver, Mike Iupati and Perrish Cox.
Now with Justin Smith on the verge of retiring, the 49ers are desperately going to need reinforcements if they want to improve on last seaon’s 8-8 record.
Luckily, with the 2015 Draft coming around, the 49ers have the 15th overall pick in the Draft and a chance to change the pattern of this offseason’s misfortunes.
One heavily targeted prospect for the 49ers is defensive tackle Arik Armstead from Oregon. Many mock draft experts and scouts believe Armstead is the best fit for the 49ers.
The feisty Armstead seems almost too good of a fit for GM Trent Baalke and coach Jim Tomsula.
"“The Niners need to add depth and talent to their defensive line, regardless of whether Justin Smith decides to retire. Armstead has prototypical size and strength to be a 5-technique defensive end in a 3-4 scheme like the one San Francisco runs.”"
While Peter King of MMQB said:
"“At 6-7 and 292, the feisty Armstead seems almost too good a fit for GM Trent Baalke and coach Jim Tomsula, who I hear loves Armstead (a body type like massive Arizona defensive end Calais Campbell). As long as Baalke is providing the blueprint, expect the Niners to build a strong and big defense”."
It seems as if Armstead will be the perfect fit for a team that just recently made their previous defensive line coach the new head coach. At just 21 years old, he should be able to develop well in the 49ers’ system and could be a cornerstone for the years to come if he is as good as they hope.
The only problem is there’s a possibility that he gets taken before the 49ers would be able to get him. If he is available, they will surely get him, but if not, they still have other options. The option won’t likely be another DT, but the 49ers also want another cornerback outside of Eric Reid.
There are many cornerbacks the 49ers have to choose from if they decide to go that route. One that would definitely fill that spot would be Trae Waynes out of Michigan State. He is big, athletic, and has the ability to make big plays on the defensive end, all things the 49ers need in the backfield.
Somebody else that is in that same category as Waynes would be Byron Jones from Connecticut. Like Waynes, Jones is athletic, has good size, but also has the ability to be a team captain in the backfield. Even as a rookie, Jones brings the ability to be a leader on the field and in the locker room for team that just lost Willis.
Other options that the 49ers may go with are cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Kevin Johnson or possibly going with a different defensive tackle like Danny Shelton out of Washington.
It is still all in question for who the 49ers are going to take with their first round pick, but one thing seems to be evident, and that is the need for a defensive presence that will support an ailing secondary.
Here is a video of the 49ers top targeted draft pick Armstead: