The 49ers’ list of NFL draft needs will fluctuate greatly depending on how free agency shakes out for them. If they’re able to retain key players like defensive lineman Arik Armstead and free safety Jimmie Ward, they’ll be able to use the 2020 draft to add depth to a Super Bowl-ready roster. If they lose out on those free agents, the draft will become a means for finding a starter or two. The latter situation plays out in Mel Kiper’s new mock draft.
San Francisco sticks at the 31st pick and once again takes LSU safety Grant Delpit to replace Ward. Delpit appears ready to step in and start at free safety right away, which would be the ideal scenario for the 49ers if they do stick with their first round pick instead of trading back to accumulate more assets.
Kiper’s analysis is intriguing for a couple reasons.
First, he doesn’t broach the idea of the 49ers trading back – something his colleague Todd McShay has done in his mocks. Kiper emphasizes the pressure on head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch to “get this pick right because they don’t have another selection until the fifth round.”
While it seems less likely in the event they lose a starter in free agency, a trade is the most logical choice for San Francisco in a year where they’re bereft of quality draft capital. That’s why all discussions of the 49ers’ first-round pick has to come with the caveat that there’s
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