It’s NFL draft month, when weeks of analysis, predictions and guesses become focused ahead of Round 1 starting April 26. For the 49ers, in their second offseason under general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan, a prospect might be emerging as the favorite for San Francisco’s No. 9 pick: Boston College pass rusher Harold Landry.
Our own Chris Biderman on Sunday put his stamp on Landry as the 49ers’ top option. A pair of recent mock drafts published this week agree with him. First, Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo pegged Landry to the 49ers in his most recent mock draft:
Yes, the 49ers continue to draft defensive linemen in the first round, but Landry brings a body type and skillset not currently on the roster. He has the explosiveness to win on the edge and it showed up in 2016 when he finished with 18 sacks, seven QB hits and 44 hurries on only 322 rushes. He regressed slightly in 2017 while also battling injury, but at his best, he’s the top pass-rusher in the class while adding solid play against the run, and the 49ers have a chance to add another valuable piece to their defensive front.
Palazzolo makes an important point. Landry would be the fourth Round 1 defensive lineman in as many drafts for San Francisco. However, at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, the Boston College pass rusher brings a vastly different skillset than Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas, who appear to be best suited inside.
Landry is the best pure speed rusher in the draft. His addition off the edge could have a domino effect on those pass rushers going against guards and centers. Particularly Buckner, who had just three sacks last season despite being credited with 52 pressures, the fifth most among interior linemen, according to PFF.
The 49ers had the NFL’s 22nd-ranked pass defense in 2017 which can be attributed to lack of pressure as much as the secondary. San Francisco pressured quarterbacks on 34.8 percent of passing plays, per PFF, while the league average was 34.6. The 49ers’ 30 sacks tied for the league’s fifth fewest.
Along with Palazzolo, The Ringer’s Danny Kelly also has Landry landing in San Francisco at pick No. 9 in his latest first-round mock:
Landry’s seen his stock rise over the past few weeks after posting outstanding numbers at the combine, most notably a blistering 6.88-second three-cone time that illustrates his explosiveness in the short area. Landry’s production wasn’t great in 2017 (5.0 sacks, 8.5 tackles-for-loss) as he fought through an ankle injury, but the 49ers are banking on the Boston College star returning to his 2016 form. A healthy Landry posted elite numbers that season (16.5 sacks, 22 tackles-for-loss, and seven forced fumbles) and could be a day-one contributor at the team’s LEO pass-rusher position.
The 49ers rattled off five wins in a row to close out the 2017 season under newly minted franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The organization is in a drastically different state than a year ago, with only a few remaining roster holes to fill before conceivably competing for a playoff spot. A threat to opposing quarterbacks off the edge is among the short-list of priorities for the 49ers and Landry aligns with both need and value at pick No. 9.
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