One reason why the 49ers drafted each player

By now you’ve seen draft grades and winners and losers. One thing we haven’t really talked about is the “why.” So let’s do that today. Here is one reason why the San Francisco 49ers selected who they did during the NFL Draft.

Nick Bosa

Pressure busts pipes

According to FootballOutsiders, the 49ers were 18th in pressure rate and adjusted sack rate in 2018. If the offense isn’t humming on all cylinders, that’s just not good enough. The team needed to bring in a player that doesn’t just win, but wins a lot. That’s what Bosa does. The junior out of Ohio State was second in pressure rate and sack percentage, per Sports info Solutions rookie handbook.

Bosa isn’t just disruptive against the pass. He will constantly blow up your run plays, too.

The fit just made way too much sense. The best player at your biggest position of need. Not a tough decision here.

The over/under on sacks for Bosa is currently set at 9. That’s insane. That also tells you how well Vegas thinks he can be.

Deebo Samuel

Creator

Let’s go back to the last game of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s 3rd & 9. It’s a short pass to Trent Taylor and he has a one-on-one situation against the defender, here’s how it turns out:

Would Taylor have made the first down, probably not. You would absolutely like to see him pick up more yards after the catch here. That will make the decision on fourth down easier for Kyle Shanahan.

What separates players in this league is their ability to win one-on-one. It’s not always the extreme cases that go for 50-yard touchdowns. In play above, just gaining four or five yards would have been a big deal.

With Deebo, more often than not, he is going to make the first guy miss. That matters.

That is why the 49ers selected Samuel where they did. You can see the difference when he has the ball in his hands compared to a guy like Taylor, or Kendrick Bourne. Speaking of…

Jalen Hurd

True chess piece

I’m in the camp that Hurd was drafted a round too early. I’m also in the camp that Hurd is oozing with talent and it’s easy to see why an offensive mind like Shanahan can’t wait to get his hands on Hurd. For a player that is playing a new position, Hurd’s versatility and ability to make plays in traffic are why the 49ers selected the 6-foot-4 chess piece.

This is a third down play that you just have to have. We saw Bourne make plenty of tough catches in 2018. These plays are tough to swallow, though:

Hurd will have some drops. In 2018, he dropped seven of his 108 targets. As a former running back, you can tell Hurd is comfortable making plays through contact. He lined up in the slot over 86% of the time. Hurd is used to playing physical, and it’s clear it doesn’t bother him.

There is plenty of talent to work with. You have to imagine Shanahan has a plan for Hurd.

Mitch Wishnowsky

For Reggie

It was tough to defend this pick at first. Then word got out that this was a player that was scouted by area scout Reggie Cobb. From that point, nothing else mattered. The 49ers were below average in both punting and on kickoffs in 2018. Even if the value doesn’t matchup here, if Wishnowsky can improve the teams field position for both punts and kickoffs, it’s a win.

Dre Greenlaw

Youth movement

There’s no telling if Greenlaw will see significant snaps as a rookie. What we do know is that he is a great guy that has fought through a lot to get to the NFL. On the field, the 49ers get younger, faster, and more versatile.

Even if Greenlaw isn’t a safety, it’s a much needed shot of athleticism to the defense.

Kaden Smith

Red zone threat

Smith will likely be groomed into that second tight end role. He won’t wow you with athleticism, but he is a very good receiver that is the “open even when he’s not” kind of guy. The 49ers were dead last in touchdown red zone percentage in 2018. Smith is a guy that proved to be an elite pass catching weapon when he doesn’t have much room to work with. That’s why he was drafted.

Justin Skule

Gets guys blocked

Skule is likely the biggest long shot name on this list. It’s tough to say how much of that is talent. He has to beat out Shon Coleman for the swing tackle, unless he is the backup swing guard, which Skule has experience playing. More importantly, Skule comes from a zone blocking scheme, so there’s some familiarity with what he’ll be asked to do in Shanahan’s offense.

CB Tim Harris, Virginia

Rolling the dice

In the sixth round, you bet on athletes. Harris has a lengthy injury history that caused him to play 11 games in 3 years. At his Pro Day, Harris ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, posted a vertical jump of 39 inches, and had a ridiculous 139-inch broad jump. That would’ve been the best broad jump at the combine. Late in the draft like this is when you bet on athletes.

These are back-to-back plays against Duke. Just from those two plays, you can see several traits that would make you want to take a chance on him. If Harris is able to contribute anything, it was a good pick.