Last spring, the 49ers drafted two players in the first round that didn’t fill glaring holes on the roster.
Defensive lineman Solomon Thomas was taken third overall after San Francisco took defensive tackles Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in Round 1 of the previous two NFL drafts. Then they traded back into the first round to tap linebacker Reuben Foster, despite already having NaVorro Bowman and making a significant investment in free agent Malcolm Smith.
General manager John Lynch said after those picks that Thomas and Foster were the second- and third-ranked players on the 49ers’ draft board. And if Lynch and Kyle Shanahan hold the same philosophy in their second offseason at the helm, expect them to draft the players they think are the best available regardless of what their roster looks like in late April.
Which means Florida State safety Derwin James shouldn’t be ruled out of the conversation for the ninth- or 10th-overall pick despite the team already having three capable players at the position signed for 2018. James has been a glaring omission from the mock draft world surrounding the 49ers largely because he isn’t a pass rusher, cornerback, linebacker, offensive lineman or receiver.
Drafting for need in the first round is particularly short sighted. Like defensive line and linebacker last spring, the foundation of a position group can change quickly. Thomas wound up playing the second most snaps of any 49ers’ lineman behind Buckner. Foster’s addition led to jettisoning Bowman.
Drafting successfully is about finding the best players for the next three to five seasons, not just about filling holes from the previous campaign.
James is the consensus top safety available and could be the best defensive back available. He was considered a potential top-five pick before Florida State’s underwhelming 7-6 season in 2017 after coming in with national championship expectations. James has the requisite size (6-3, 215) and is expected to light up the scouting combine this week showcasing his athletic versatility for a league trending toward position-less football.
He represents an antidote for varied passing attacks featuring diminutive slot receivers, hulking tight ends and everything in between. And he has the physicality, toughness and willingness to defend the run, making him an ideal strong safety or dime linebacker for the 49ers’ scheme.
“So the versatility of (James’) game is critical,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call this week. “And in today’s NFL, which is a pass-first league, when you can drop a safety down on a slot and feel comfortable, that guy is worth his weight in gold. So he can drop down on the slot. He can play deep middle, he can play a two-deep half, and he can play a linebacker and cover a running back. Today’s NFL is a match-up league, and he’s a match-up player, that’s why his value is so high.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares James to Chiefs safety Eric Berry, a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro-Bowler. Pro Football Focus graded James as the nation’s top safety as a true freshman in 2015 and again in 2017. The notable blemish on James is a meniscus tear that cost him all but two games in 2016, which he’ll be two years removed from next fall.
Cornerback this offseason is the 49ers’ most glaring need in the starting lineup. But that could be a position that’s fortified through free agency with the team’s $60 million in cap space, which could lead to plugging in a pricy veteran like Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler or Rashaan Melvin, allowing freedom in the draft.
Ultimately, the best way to construct a roster is to draft the best players available, which could mean adding James despite having Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt and Adrian Colbert already on the roster. Eric Reid, who was second among the team’s defensive backs in snaps last season, is poised for free agency and unlikely to return. Colbert is the only member of that group under contract beyond the coming season.
So how would James fit in an already crowded group of safeties? First, Ward’s immediate future has to be considered. The team picked up his fifth-year option last spring, guaranteeing him $8.5 million for 2018. That’s San Francisco’s third largest cap hit behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Pierre Garçon. Ward is scheduled for free agency in 12 months.
Ward (5-11, 193) ended three of his past four seasons on injured reserve with bone fractures. He’s broken four bones – including his foot, twice – since leaving Northern Illinois for the 2014 draft. He’s missed 22 of his 64 regular season games since former GM Trent Baalke selected him 30th overall. Ward played well in his time at free safety last season, but fractured a forearm Week 8 in Philadelphia after he missed training camp with a hamstring strain.
That lengthy injury history adds considerable risk to giving Ward a long-term contract. Fitting James in with Tartt, who can play both strong and free safety, might be the more enticing plan, keeping Colbert as a versatile reserve in the secondary that can play both safety and cornerback in a pinch.
And as defensive coordinator Robert Saleh proved last season, the team needs at least three reliable safeties with one who could play linebacker on third down. That’s what the 49ers could have if James allows the team to save money by moving on from Ward, who would leave behind no dead cap money if released.
Adding James has to be a scenario worth considering for the 49ers, who haven’t finished better than 22nd on defense the last three seasons.
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