The 49ers’ dream scenario continues to play out in Draft Wire mocks.
They stay at No. 2 as trades swirl around them, and they wind up snaring the best edge rusher in the draft after the Arizona Cardinals take Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
The rest of their picks include a receiver, and two defensive backs to shore up their secondary depth. Here are the 49ers’ first four picks according to Draft Wire:
Round 1, Pick 2: Nick Bosa | EDGE | Ohio State
The rest of the draft almost wouldn’t matter if the 49ers wound up getting Bosa with the second pick. He is the best player at their biggest position of need. New defensive line coach Kris Kocurek will require a bit more of the team’s edge rushers this season, and Bosa has all the tools to be an impact pass rusher right away.
Round 2, Pick 36: Deebo Samuel | WR | South Carolina
Samuel just fits the Shanahan mold. He had a stellar Senior Bowl, showing off a deep bag of tricks that allow him to get open despite not possessing top-end athleticism. He had 148 catches for 2,076 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career for the Gamecocks. The most intriguing thing about Samuel is his ability to return kicks and take handoffs. He rushed 25 times for 154 yards and seven touchdowns in college, while also averaging 29 yards per kick return on 42 returns. A multifaceted skill set is part of what drew Shanahan to Dante Pettis in last year’s draft, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go with a receiver in Round 2 for the second year in a row.
Round 3, Pick 67: Lonnie Johnson, Jr. | CB | Kentucky
This is the area of the draft where the 49ers might go for cornerback help. Johnson is the exact type of player they’d go for as well. He’s listed at 6-3, 203 pounds – massive for a cornerback. Johnson spent two years in junior college as a safety before transferring to Kentucky and shifting to corner. He didn’t post an interception in two years with the Wildcats, but he’s a good athlete who can tackle and is still learning the cornerback spot. Getting tutoring from Richard Sherman would certainly help a player like Johnson hone his craft to become a starter sooner rather than later.
Round 4, Pick 104: Marquise Blair | S | Utah
It wouldn’t be a surprise if 49ers manager John Lynch fell in love with Blair. He plays football like every player on the opposing offense made him mad personally. At 6-2, 190 pounds, he’s big enough to fit in the 49ers’ scheme at strong safety, but has the athleticism to fly around as the free safety as well. This is the type of player the 49ers take and figure out what to do with him later. He was a junior college transfer for the Utes and racked up 106 tackles with two interceptions in his two seasons there. Even if San Francisco adds a safety in free agency, they may just fall too far in love with Blair to pass on him early in Day 3 of the draft.
