The 49ers’ list of NFL draft needs will get a shake up once free agency opens, but for now, it a safety is a popular choice in mock drafts for San Francisco.
Todd McShay’s mock didn’t change for the No. 31 pick after the combine, with LSU safety Grant Delpit heading to the 49ers. McShay’s colleague Mel Kiper Jr. also has Delpit falling to San Francisco.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has the 49ers taking a different safety – Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.
It’d make sense for San Francisco to prioritize that position in the event that they lose Jimmie Ward in free agency. Ward is coming off the best season of his career and played a pivotal role in the back end of the 49ers’ No. 1-ranked pass defense. Letting him walk without addressing the vacancy is a risky proposition with Tarvarius Moore as the only logical replacement on the roster. Moore is a fine player, but leaning on him to be the surefire Day 1 starter is a heavy burden for an unproven third-year player.
The bigger key for the 49ers, regardless of their top positional need, will be restocking draft picks. Jeremiah’s mock is the only one that explicitly states San Francisco won’t pick at the No. 31 spot since they’ll need to trade back to recoup some picks in the middle rounds.
While replacing Ward – if they lose him – with a first-round talent is ideal for the 49ers, it doesn’t seem feasible given their slew of needs and the likelihood of a trade back. Unless one of Delpit or McKinney or any other safety getting first-round buzz sees a slide outside of the top 32 picks, chances are they won’t last long enough for San Francisco to draft one of them.
