San Francisco went from being one of the deepest teams in football to missing the playoffs last year and becoming the laughingstock of the 2015 offseason. Jim Tomsula is now the head coach and the team is suddenly looking up at Seattle and Arizona. Even St. Louis is suddenly talented and young while the Niners seem old. The team has a weak receiving corps, a suddenly thin offensive line, and received retirements from Chris Borland, Patrick Willis and Justin Smith this offseason, leaving the team very thin on defense. Few teams are more excited to fill holes than the 49ers in the draft. The team has plenty of picks and we should see an array of talent chosen for their 2015 team.
Picks:
First round (15th overall)
Second round (46th overall)
Third round (79th overall)
Fourth round (126th overall)
Fourth round (132nd overall) – compensatory pick awarded
Fifth round (151st overall)
Sixth round (190th overall)
Seventh round (246th overall)
Seventh round (254th overall) – compensatory pick awarded
San Francisco 49ers 2015 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Defensive Line
Justin Smith, the leader and soul of the 49ers defensive line, has retired. That leaves an already desperate defensive line in a tough situation heading into 2015. While many believe wide receiver is the position the 49ers should address in the first round, the line needs more help. Arik Armstead would be the best fit here since he can play in the 3-4 defensive scheme and he has major upside. The 49ers struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season and Armstead can definitely complement Aldon Smith in the pass rush.
Wide Receiver
The 49ers need speed and talent in order for quarterback Colin Kaepernick to thrive. Sure, overpaying a little for Torrey Smith will help, but the team had no help in 2014. Anquan Boldin can still make tough catches, but it is getting harder and harder for him to create separation as he ages. Michael Crabtree is now a Raider, and Vernon Davis is… well nobody knows what happened to him. This receiving class is very deep and I expect the 49ers to draft a receiver in the second or third round since they added Smith in free agency.
Cornerback
This team had great depth when Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox were the backups. Then they became starters and the secondary took a step down, allowing receivers to create separation and make big plays. Now, Culliver and Cox are gone, leaving the 49ers with a very unproven secondary. Many believe the 49ers could take a corner in the first round, but I think they will hit this need on Day 2. I love Byron Jones (UConn) because he is a freak athlete, but he will be sought after by other teams as well.
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