The draft has shown that the 49ers have a clear goal in mind.
The 2019 NFL Draft is in the books and the message that the San Francisco 49ers front office sent couldn’t be any louder.
Surround franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with weapons.
The 49ers held the 36th and 67th overall picks on day two and they spent both of them on wide receivers. Using the 36th selection to take South Carolina stand out WR Deebo Samuel, one who was mocked to the 49ers by many of the nations media throughout the off-season. Samuel also happened to be coached by the 49ers staff during the Senior Bowl which is a good indication of why the connection was so strong.
The #49ers select WR Deebo Samuel of South Carolina with No. 36 overall. He gets open quickly in the red zone. The 49ers worked with him during the week at the Senior Bowl.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) April 26, 2019
They followed up with taking Baylor WR Jalen Hurd who was converted from the running back position after transferring from the University of Tennessee. Hurd is a whole different animal than what the 49ers are used to, standing at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He is a very big target and instantly becomes the biggest WR on the roster.
His athleticism and versatility are his biggest attributes and having the ability to play multiple positions is exactly the type of player we all know head coach Kyle Shanahan dreams about.
Jalen Hurd is an intriguing matchup weapon for Kyle Shanahan. He’s 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and can play any skill position. Rushed for over 1,200 yards in ‘15 and nearly eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in ‘18. 33 total TDs in four seasons. #49ers
( : @BR_NFL)pic.twitter.com/ILV6S62QCG— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) April 27, 2019
The 49ers entered today as the only team to not have a WR eclipse the 500 yard mark in 2018 and left the day with two of the most physical WR in the entire draft according to coach Shanahan.
What separated Deebo and Jalen, also, is we felt they were the two most physical players out of all the receivers in the draft.
They followed up on day 3 of the draft selecting more offensive talent rounding out the day with three offensive selections bringing the total up to five out of eight selections spent on the offensive side of the ball. At a time where defense was thought to be the biggest glaring need for the 49ers they go heavy on offense. Here is how the draft looked for the 49ers in 2019:
1st (2) DE Nick Bosa, OSU
2nd (36) WR Deebo Samuel, S.C.
3rd (67) WR Jalen Hurd, Baylor
4th (110) P Mitch Wishnowsky, Utah
5th (148) LB Dre Greenlaw, Arkansas
6th (176) TE Kaden Smith, Stanford
6th (183) T Justin Skule, Vanderbilt
6th (198) DB Tim Harris, Virginia
Do you think that sent a wake up call to the roster?
Coach Shanahan knows that 2019 is a make or break year for this team. For the first two years there were always excuses to fall back on, injuries, zero pass rush, no secondary help, “don’t worry, they are rebuilding”.
Well, the players are healthy, they just drafted the best EDGE rusher in Nick Bosa, traded for Pro Football Focus’ top EDGE rusher of 2018 in Dee Ford and signed corner back Jason Verrett. The rebuild is over and excuses are out the window. Now is the time for this roster to perform.
With all the money spent on QB Jimmy Garoppolo, putting weapons around him to get a return on their investment had to be a priority, and they have showed that it certainly is.
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