The 49ers’ eight-player 2019 draft class will need to immediately make their presence known if San Francisco is going to contend for the playoffs this season. They chose to address their biggest needs through the draft instead of free agency, a fine strategy, but they need a handful of successful NFL players to come from this group.
We ran through the list of picks to find out the chances each draft pick wins a starting job in their first year:
DE Nick Bosa
The 49ers not only need Bosa to start right away, but they need him to be an impact player off the edge in his rookie season. San Francisco selected Bosa as a three-down player who mans the edge in both base and sub packages. He might never be a 15 or 20 sack player, but he has a shot to transform the 49ers’ defense.
Chance of starting: 99.9 percent
WR Deebo Samuel
Taking a receiver with the fourth pick in the second round indicates a team believes that player will make a significant contribution out of the gate. The 49ers’ passing attack needs Samuel to step in and be the versatile, explosive player he was at South Carolina. His ability to line up all over the field and create separation through crisp route running will be a much-needed asset for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who struggled to find open receivers in his three games last season.
Chance of starting: 94 percent
WR Jalen Hurd
There’s not a ceiling for Hurd because he’s such a unique talent. He was a good running back at the University of Tennessee, but transferred to Baylor and moved to wide receiver to try and prolong his NFL career. Head coach Kyle Shanahan will likely use him like a ‘move’ tight end who lines up all over the field. Hurd isn’t likely to snag a starting WR job, but expect him to play plenty in his rookie season as the 49ers take advantage of his size, athleticism and overall playmaking ability.
Chance of starting: 20 percent
P Mitch Wishnowsky
Not only did the 49ers shell out a fourth-round pick for the Ray Guy Award winner and three-time finalist, they cut the other punter on the roster shortly after choosing Wishnowsky in the draft. The former Ute was the first 2019 pick to sign, and he’ll be the 49ers’ punter barring a scenario where he forgets how to kick.
Chance of starting: 99.9 percent
LB Dre Greenlaw
Greenlaw will be a fascinating player to watch during offseason workouts. He didn’t test great, but his athleticism really stands out on tape. He’s a terrific coverage linebacker and might’ve gone earlier in the draft if he were more adept at stopping the run. Kwon Alexander recovering from an ACL tear should give Greenlaw a chance to earn some extra work during training camp, and he’ll have a shot to earn the starting job if Alexander isn’t ready to begin the year. Once the linebacking corps is healthy though, Greenlaw is likely a high-quality special teams player.
Chance of starting: 18 percent
TE Kaden Smith
There is zero chance Smith overtakes George Kittle as the team’s No. 1 tight end, but he could supplant Garrett Celek as the second TE in an offense that leans heavily on two tight-end sets. Because of that, we’ll count the second TE job as a starting spot. Smith isn’t exceptionally athletic, but he has very good size and the ability to play in line, in the slot or out wide. That versatility should earn him some snaps as a rookie, and may ultimately earn him the TE2 job in San Francisco.
Chance of starting: 67 percent
OT Justin Skule
Skule will need a big training camp to earn his way onto the 53-man roster, much less pick up a starting spot. The only way, in fact, he finds his way into the starting offensive front is at guard. Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey have the tackle spots locked up. The swing tackle job is up for grabs though, and Skule could snatch that if he produces in the preseason.
Chance of starting: 1 precent
DB Tim Harris
Harris might be the second-most intriguing 49ers draft pick behind Hurd. He was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, and would’ve gone much sooner in the draft had injuries not forced him to spend six years at the University of Virginia. Harris has NFL size at 6-2, 197 pounds, and he allowed a passer rating of only 52.0 and a catch rate of 48.7 percent on balls thrown his way last season according to Pro Football Focus. There’s not a surefire starter opposite Richard Sherman, and Harris should be in the mix with the rest of the cornerbacks for a starting job.
Chance of starting: 38 percent
