49ers Surprise, Draft a Safety
Well, that was a surprise. And a head-scratcher.With great needs at cornerback and wide receiver, the 49ers used the 30th pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night to select safety Jimmie Ward of Northern Illinois.With a pair of starting safeties already on the roster in second-year man Eric Reid and veteran Antoine Bethea, signed in free agency from the Colts, 49ers GM Trent Baalke selected Ward, who had the second-most interceptions in major college football last season, with seven. Ward, 5-feet-10 and 193 pounds, is reported to have good coverage skills, which could mean that the 49ers will: a) convert him to cornerback; b) or use him in Big Nickel packages (three-safety sets), which Matt Wiliamson of ESPN.com noted is a growing trend in the league.NFL analyst Adam Caplan tweeted that Ward "is arguably the best cover safety for this year's draft." Another analyst, Josh Norris, tweeted: "Ward has some Kenny Vaccaro-type traits. That'll help any defense. Was ranked as my No. 17 overall prospect." Vaccaro was the Saints' top rookie safety in 2013. - With 30th Overall Pick, 49ers Select Safety Jimmie WardThe Niners went for Ward even though players such as touted wide...
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