One player we’ve heard about. The other, you may have heard about.
Mock drafts are getting more and more consistent as the days go on. We’re just over a month away from the 2019 NFL Draft and getting confirmation to this Arizona Cardinals/Kyler Murray business and how the 49ers will react.
Today’s mock draft is a two-rounder put together by NBC Sports’ Ben Standig. The first round is what we’ve been seeing with great redundancy as of late: the Cardinals take Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, the 49ers take Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa.
Here’s what Standig said about the 49ers pick of Bosa:
San Francisco needs outside pass rushers after selecting young interior forces in recent seasons. Joey’s brother is arguably the front-runner for the number one overall pick despite injuries and his decision to sit out the rest of the 2018 season. This scenario should have John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan doing back flips.
We’ve heard this scenario before, but what does Standig have for the 49ers taking in the second round? Well that would be Alabama safety Deionte Thompson going with pick 36:
Thompson’s draft stock dropped following a subpar showing during the playoffs and then suffered a wrist injury during off-season workouts.
On paper, the free safety provides the 49ers with a player capable of making plays from all angles.
N’Keal Harry goes with the very next pick (pick 37) to the New York Giants. So if the 49ers wanted to grab the wide receiver, he’s certainly available. As far as other safeties on the board, Washington’s Taylor Rapp goes at 39 and Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram goes at 41.
My issues with Thompson are just the same as pointed out above. I wasn’t a fan of his playoff performance (his CFP National Championship game in particular left something to be desired), but what I saw during the regular season, man. I could still manage to look the other way for his playoff performance, but the injury thing doesn’t resonate well. The 49ers have enough of the players getting injured—but there’s no telling if he’d injure himself again so knocking him for a wrist injury may be a bit much.
That said, Thompson has a high ceiling and could be the answer at free safety. It’s just a matter of if the 49ers would want to go that direction instead of cornerback or wide receiver. The Bosa/Allen/Williams debate will continue in the comments, but what do you think of Thompson? Is he the answer at free safety?
About the Author: Insidethe49
