There could be four quarterbacks selected with the top eight picks in the NFL draft later this month, pushing quality defensive players down the board to the 49ers who hold the No. 9 selection.
That means San Francisco could land one of the five-best non-quarterbacks available, including Alabama’s talented and versatile defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. That’s the player ESPN’s Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. agreed would be the selection for San Francisco in a dueling mock draft published this week.
(Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports)
From Kiper:
Fitzpatrick could start at corner — opposite Richard Sherman — or safety for the 49ers, who have a young, talented front seven but need to fill out the secondary.
And McShay:
San Francisco would love if (Quenton) Nelson fell here, but CB is still a need. GM John Lynch will go for the best player available, and Fitzpatrick is the best player on the board.
Fitzpatrick could be the top player on San Francisco’s board at that point. But he appears to be an unlikely fit at cornerback outside to play with Sherman. Fitzpatrick (6-0, 204) has 31 1/4-inch arms – shorter than the typical length of cornerbacks that have excelled in the scheme.
Sherman, the prototype for the system, has 32-inch arms. And the team used a third-round pick last season on Ahkello Witherspoon, an expected starter in 2018, who has 33-inch levers.
But that shouldn’t count out Fitzpatrick from the conversation. He would seemingly be a good fit at slot cornerback and free safety, where the 49ers face uncertainty in the future.
Jimmie Ward, a first-round draft choice in 2014, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will be moved around this offseason to find his best position after Adrian Colbert excelled at free safety to end 2017.
Ward is a candidate to receive a contract extension. The coaching staff has praised his versatility and the way he played at free safety in 2017 before fracturing his forearm and finishing on injured reserve for the second straight campaign. He’s missed 22 games with various injuries throughout his career and is slated to be the team’s highest paid defensive player, making $8.5 million fully guaranteed on his fifth-year option.
But it’s telling that Ward has yet to receive a new deal, which could mean the team is looking at his position in the draft. That’s where adding Fitzpatrick could make sense.
Fitzpatrick could ultimately give the 49ers a long-term upgrade in the secondary and be a cheaper option than Ward on a second contract. But the most glaring weakness on the defense remains the pass rush and the lack of a blue-chip pass rusher along the edge.
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