It’s just not the wide receiver from Ole Miss you’re thinking of.
I think I said it last week that unless something drastic happens, we may want to start looking at the San Francisco 49ers’ second round pick of the 2019 NFL draft. Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is all but a lock unless the Arizona Cardinals take him first or the 49ers decide to go elsewhere (both possible).
Today’s mock draft from CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson follows that narrative. It’s what you expect to start: Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray goes first to the Cardinals, Nick Bosa second, but this mock also has a Round 2.
And in Round 2, things get interesting. The 49ers take a wide receiver. A wide receiver from Ole Miss, but it’s probably not the wide receiver you’re thinking of. First, here’s what Wilson says about Bosa to the 49ers:
This is the best-case scenario for the 49ers, who desperately need a pass rusher and get the best one in this class. Bosa went through all the drills at the combine and his 4.79 40-yard time was better than his brother’s from three years ago. Bosa is a game-changer from Day 1.
Not much different in the first round. Quinnen Williams falls to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again. The Raiders get Brian Burns, a Florida State edge-rusher who has been picking up some steam since a nice combine performance. Though Wilson compares Burns to Aldon Smith which may not sit well with a lot of 49ers fans. The Giants follow the recent news of not getting a quarterback and take Mississippi State edge-rusher Montez Sweat, leaving Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins to the Cincinnati Bengals at 11.
It’s the second round where things get interesting. The 49ers select Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Brown is a “big” slot receiver who played alongside D.K. Metcalf in college. Tough after the catch, Brown has big-play ability and will replace veteran Pierre Garcon, who wasn’t re-signed.
The wide receiver from Ole Miss on everyone’s radar is D.K. Metcalf. As said above, this guy is not D.K. Metcalf. When I see Brown, I see a situation similar to DeAndre White. White came to the pros (and the 49ers) the same year as his fellow Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper. White came with significant pedigree, especially as a undrafted free agent, but it was obvious Cooper was the treasure that year. Brown seems to be the same situation: he was good at Ole Miss, but being number two on a college team does not translate to number two or three, or one on a pro team. That said, a second round pick is taken with much higher expectations than a UDFA.
I say the above as speculation. I very well could be and am wrong. I have not watched extensive film on Brown, but I can only guess he’s a step back from Metcalf and taking him in the beginning of the second round may be a bit too early. Depending on how much of a drop-off there is between Metcalf and Brown, maybe he is the wide receiver the 49ers need. But they might need a safety before any of that. Florida Safety Chauncey Gardner is available and goes 39th to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall, Brown does seem intriguing. I just can’t shake the fact he is second fiddle to Metcalf which may translate to his performance on the field.
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