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San Francisco 49ers: 3 roster holes and how to fill them in the draft

By Isaac Gutierrez

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 02: General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers answers questions from the media on Day 2 of the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 02: General manager John Lynch of the San Francisco 49ers answers questions from the media on Day 2 of the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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With free agency officially in the past, it is time to look forward to the NFL Draft. The 49ers have several holes to fill, but who will fill these holes?

With NFL free agency all but come to a close, draft season is in full swing. It is now time for the glorious weeks prior to the days in which every team in the league will attempt to ensure that the future of their respective franchise is as secure as possible by drafting a new crop of young talent.

There are some teams who have a very limited amount of draft capital, who need to make the most of the limited opportunities they have in the draft in order to find success in the seasons to come. On the other hand, there are some teams with a slew of selections in this year’s draft who have the opportunity to turn their team around very quickly, if the selections are handled correctly. The San Francisco 49ers are one of those teams.

With last season’s addition of now franchise quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers are in a position that the draft will decide the outcome of the upcoming season. Many around the league are already touting them as the surprise playoff team of next season, before even a single snap has been played. This is a very realistic scenario, if the team drafts well. If they do not, they may end up being the greatest disappointment in the league next season.

Jimmy Garoppolo is the reason the team even has a chance to be respectable this upcoming season, but he is also the reason so much is riding on this draft class. While the presence of a quarterback of Garoppolo’s stature serves to improve a team almost immediately, it does not cure all of the team’s roster ailments.

If they are to live up the hype that currently surrounds them, the 49ers must fill as many of their remaining roster holes as they possibly can in the draft. But where exactly are these holes I keep mentioning? The main ones that need addressing include wide receiver, cornerback, outside linebacker, safety, edge rusher and running back depth. While the team will likely not find their long-term solution at all of these positions during the draft, they can certainly sure up several of them.

More specifically, there are three position holes that can be filled in the draft without a doubt. If the team fills these three holes with the players you are soon to see, or players remotely similar, they will be off to a great start in securing the success of their future.