It looked like the 49ers were on the clock for the 2019 draft. The Arizona Cardinals were set to take quarterback Kyler Murray, and San Francisco was going to draft the top edge rusher on the board, Ohio State’s Nick Bosa, unless a trade offer San Francisco couldn’t refuse came available.
Those plans all blew up in the latest Draft Wire mock. Arizona selects Bosa and leaves the 49ers in a tough spot.
If that happens on Draft Day, they’ll likely aim for a move back. In this mock, they take the best available edge rusher. Here’s what the first four rounds of the 49ers’ draft might look like if they don’t have a shot at Bosa:
Round 1, Pick 2 | Josh Allen, EDGE, Kentucky
This wouldn’t be a bad consolation for San Francisco in the event that they’re unable to find a trade. Allen isn’t a pure edge rusher, but he did rack up 17 sacks his senior season for the Wildcats. He’s versatile enough to play strong side linebacker in base packages for the 49ers, and he’s only scratching the surface of his pass rushing ability. If San Francisco does select Allen, they may still eye an additional edge rusher later in the draft.
Round 2, Pick 36 | Kelvin Harmon, WR, North Carolina State
Harmon is the precise type of receiver head coach Kyle Shanahan might have his eye on early in the second round. He measured in at the combine at 6-2, 221 pounds, but didn’t blow up the athletic drills. His tape shows a good, physical route runner who’s very good making contested catches. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to Mohamed Sanu, who had a pair of productive years under Shanahan when they were together in Atlanta. Harmon brings size the 49ers’ receiving corps lacks, and he’s a versatile enough route runner to succeed in their offense.
Round 3, Pick 67 | Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
Cornerback isn’t very high on the 49ers’ list of needs, but passing on Layne at this point on Day 2 would be impossible. He measured out at nearly 6-2 and 192 pounds with 33-inch arms at the combine. Those all check the physical boxes the 49ers want from their receivers. Layne is also a terrific athlete who put up three interceptions and 24 pass breakups in 31 games for the Spartans. He’s not extremely physical, but his skill set would be too good for the 49ers to skip on in the third round.
Round 4, Pick 104 | Marquise Blair, S, Utah
Blair feels like a player John Lynch will be a huge fan of. He has enough athleticism to play either safety spot for the 49ers, which increases his chances of snagging a starting spot in Year 1. The 6-1, 195-pound safety plays a hard-nosed, physical brand of football that would allow him to play near the line of scrimmage. He’s also athletic enough to fall back to free safety. If Blair is available early on Day 3, he just might be the 49ers’ pick to compete for a starting safety job.
