I can hear an audible groan from readers after reading that headline. First, don’t yell at me. The mock draft we will discuss is from The Athletic. Let’s make sure we direct our anger to the proper channels or the substation. Having said that, Nick Baumgardner did great work with a post-Super Bowl three-round mock.
Let’s look at the three picks for the 49ers.
27. San Francisco 49ers: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
“Another one of those player-scheme fits that feels almost too perfect. Concepcion is an oddly shaped receiver (5-11, 187), but he has unique talents. His open-field explosion might remind you of Deebo Samuel, as he attacks like an elite punt returner every time he’s in space.”
Analysis: Look, I know you’re looking at what Seattle is building with the speed of their defense and the lack of overall separation on the outside currently on the roster. However, I think remembering Samuel’s ending as a 49er without remembering how special the offense was when he was part of the engine driving it. There’s also the argument of the offense “not evolving” or going backwards, looking for a Samuel replacement. I get that. Just remember, this is a mock draft, so there’s no need to get too upset, and his reasoning is solid.
There’s also the possibility that Concepcion, who is a nice offensive piece to add, by the way, can last longer than Samuel and develop.
58. San Francisco 49ers: Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M
There is your offensive line pick. Considering the 49ers’ past drafting of offensive linemen, this is a bit high. Now, as far as stature and athletic profile? How’s this? Crownover is 6’7, 336 lbs, and was a three-star recruit as a tight end before transitioning to offensive tackle.
Brandon Thorn of Bleacher Report is a well-respected offensive lineman analyst and comped Crownover to Kiran Amegadjie with a rank of 12th in the draft.
Where He Wins
— Massive frame with excellent length and wingspan.
— Casts a wide net with his length in pass protection that can make it a chore for basic high-side pass-rush moves to work.
— Plays hard, runs his feet and strains to finish blocks.
— Excels covering up and feeding defensive tackles over during double-teams.
Areas of Improvement
— Poor lateral quickness when stepping under himself to redirect and regularly falling behind moves across his face.
— Upright play-style with wide hand-placement exposes his chest and results in a soft, tardy anchor.
— Marginal use of hands leaves him late, off-target and scrambling too often.
92. San Francisco 49ers: Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee
In three rounds, Baumgardner has the 49ers adding to the trenches and at receiver. Depending on who is available, that seems like a logical three-round thought process. Again, going back to the 49ers draft history, with three rounds, an EDGE last of the three isn’t the likeliest scenario, but needs are being addressed.
Matt Holder thinks Josephs resembles the new Super Bowl champion, Uchenna Nwosu.
Where He Wins
– Josephs has a solid frame with room to add weight and appears to have long arms.
– Combines good overall athleticism with quickness and twitch to win as a pass-rusher.
– Quick to react to the snap and accelerates off the line of scrimmage well to win or at least threaten offensive tackles with speed around the edge.
– Decent at setting his pass-rush moves by getting to square on the offensive lineman and giving himself a two-way go.
– Has shown several moves he can win with, like a cross-chop, bull-to-rip and push-pull. Also, improved his timing with his hands this season and has gotten better at working the hands after contact.
– Good closing speed on the quarterback.
– Physical and has shown solid strength at the point of attack as a run defender.
– Can create stalemates against pullers as the force player in run fits.
Areas of Improvement
– Could afford to add more size and strength to be more stout against the run.
– Struggles to get extension and lock out offensive tackles when setting the edge/taking on blocks.
– Will get collapsed inside by down blocks from tight ends and doesn’t see/anticipate crack blocks against pin-and-pull concepts, even when wide receivers are in a reduced split.
– Lacks the mass and strength to be effective when turning speed to power against NFL offensive tackles.
– Ankles are a little stiff, hurting his ability to corner and consistently finish pass-rush wins with sacks.
Would you be happy with this three-round haul for the 49ers? Let us know in the comments!
About the Author: Insidethe49
