San Francisco 49ers: Three options at edge rusher in the first round of the draft
Marcus Davenport, UTSA
Marcus Davenport is the most highly regarded edge rushing prospect in the draft. Standing at 6’6″, 264 pounds, Davenport has the ideal build for a defensive end. Davenport is by far the most raw prospect of the three, but also has by far the highest upside.
Davenport gained 30 pounds between his sophomore season at UTSA and the combine. He has consistently gotten bigger and stronger over the last several years, leading most to believe this is something that can continue when he arrives in the NFL. This is a major factor in his presumed potential.
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His physical attributes are not the only reason for the hype around Davenport. He has also shown flashes of elite production in college and specifically at the Senior Bowl. Davenport’s breakthrough performance at the Senior Bowl is the reason he is viewed as a first round prospect now. Facing off against some of the top competition in the nation, Davenport feasted.
Davenport has shown flashes of greatness through performances like the Senior Bowl and UTSA’s game against Texas A&M last season. The only problem is that those flashes are just that. He has yet to show that he can consistently perform at a high level, which is what is holding him back from being a lock for the top ten.
Regardless, with NFL coaching he should be able to turn what are now flashes of greatness into consistently high level play.
The San Francisco 49ers could pick Davenport with the ninth pick and feel good about it. He could be the missing piece that turns the 49ers defensive line into one of the better units in the league.