The Niners go CB over safety in this mock
If you think we do too many mocks, CBS has done 30 since the middle of the regular season. This is the first three-round mock they have done, though. To nobody’s surprise, the first pick is Ohio State’s Nick Bosa. The article says this is the best-case scenario. I agree. Probably the best player in the draft fixes one of the San Francisco 49ers top needs. Bosa feels like a sure thing. But what about the next two rounds?
Offense in the second round
Hakeem Butler was the pick in the second round. The 49ers need to continue to build around their franchise QB Jimmy Garoppolo. They select the high-flying receiver out of Iowa State. Butler ran a lot faster than people anticipated. Him jumping really high wasn’t too much of a surprise. Here’s a thread by Eric Crocker on Butler if you want an objective opinion:
WR4 in my #49ers rankings. Hakeem Butler. 6 foot 12 inches tall lol jk.. but 6’5”.. plays above the rim.. 4.48 speed which is wild for someone that long.. pause.. I think he played that fast too.. could tell corners felt his speed pic.twitter.com/wwV87X8qsf
— CrockTIME (@eric_crocker) March 29, 2019
Butler will be interesting study. He’s really good in the slot, and an obvious athlete. Butler isn’t refined. Then again, there are so many plays where that just doesn’t matter because he is so big.
Secondary in the third
It’ll be interesting to see what positions the Niners value. Or what positions they pass on because they feel like one position is deeper than the other. In this mock, the team goes CB instead of safety. I’m not sure that I would be surprised by too many picks in the third round. That’s no matter what happens in the first two rounds. Lonnie Johnson Jr. of Kentucky was the pick in this mock. Here was the reasoning:
Richard Sherman is 31 and his contract expires after the 2020 season. Johnson is a tall, physical corner who is still growing into the position.
Johnson is 6’1”, 213 pound ran a 4.52 40-yard dash. He also had a 38” vertical jump and a 10’9” broad jump. Those jumps are borderline elite. Johnson’s shuttles were “good enough.” The word on Johnson Jr. is that he lacks the quick change-of-direction skills to stick with the shifty receivers.
Johnson is known as a zone corner, though, so he could be a good fit in the defense. Per the Sports Info Solutions handbook, Johnson gave up the fourth fewest yards in zone coverage.
What do you think about this draft?
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