The 49ers are going to draft a safety. Here’s one option in each round for the team

The San Francisco 49ers are probably going to draft a safety in the upcoming NFL draft. We don’t know that but it feels like a safe assumption. What we don’t know is how high the team feels like they need to invest in a safety. The team brought back Jimmie Ward and want him to start at free safety. Kyle Shanahan is on record acknowledging Ward’s health concerns. Ward isn’t the only safety on the roster with health issues. The team could fall in love with a safety and trade back into round one. They could also do the same in every other round, or even stand pat and select a safety. Because of that, here are some options in each round at safety.

Late 20’s

Nasir Adderley is thought to be the lone free safety worthy of a late first round pick. While he played at the FCS level, Adderley tested like a high end athlete at his Pro Day a couple weeks ago. He ran a 4.54 40-yard dash, which is plenty fast. His jumps were the numbers that stood out. A 10’9” broad jump with a 38” inch vertical explain Adderley’s range. He’s all over the place. Showing range that every defensive coordinator covets.

The drawback with Adderley is that he lets receivers get behind him more often than you’d prefer. His athleticism is obvious, but there are times when he gets caught peeking in the backfield and the results aren’t always good. You’d like him to rely on his instincts and not just his physical tools. With the depth of this safety class, the 49ers should be able to find value without spending extra draft picks.

Second round

This is where we will found out just how important the safety position is the Niners. They will likely have their pick, save a couple of guys. Because they ran fast, Johnathan Abram and Darnell Savage might be gone. The best option in my book is Chauncey Gardner-Johnson of Florida.

In 2018, Gardner-Johnson played primarily in the slot after the Gators ran more of a hybrid defense. In prior seasons he played a more traditional deep safety role, where you really got the chance to see his 4.48 40-yard dash speed. Gardner-Johnson is the best option for the 49ers as he can excel deep, in the slot, and help in the run game. Gardner-Johnson will miss some tackles. It’s not because he’s a poor tackler. It’s more of him being too aggressive and over-running plays.

His ability to read the quarterback and take the ball away should make Gardner-Johnson an option for San Francisco. Robert Saleh can even get creative with the safeties, as he and Ward could be interchangeable on passing downs.

Third round

Virginia’s Juan Thornhill is likely off the board with his production and athletic testing. One guy that could fall is Washington safety Taylor Rapp. Rapp is a very good football player. Rapp also was timed in the 40-yard dash between 4.74-4.77 seconds. That is….not great. Those times mirror Washington’s quarterback, Jake Browning. Rapp can do it all, but those times will matter to the people in the NFL. If he falls, this would be a perfect situation for the 48ers to pounce on adding talent in the secondary.

Fourth round

If I was a betting man, I’d wager that safety would be addressed by now. If it’s not, that tells us the team is really going to go into the season with Ward and Jaquiski Tartt. While both have had success at times in the NFL, they’ve also showed that the two cannot be relied upon.

The draft still has players that could contribute right away this deep. Not to the level as some of the players mentioned above, but they can play. One guy that qualifies as a “good football player” is Amani Hooker. The former Hawkeye was very good in 2018. Him running a 4.48 surprised a lot of people. Of all the safeties I’ve watched Hooker has the best instincts. He just doesn’t make mental mistakes. He may be limited in amn coverage, but he can make plays in the slot and deep if need be.