The San Francisco 49ers have a new head coach, a new general manager, and a lot of needs on both sides of the football. With so many needs, the team could go in any number of directions in April's draft. A lot of that will depend on what happens during free agency. With a massive surplus of cap space, the 49ers have the means to be aggressive this offseason.
As for the draft, Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated has released his latest three-round mock and he has the 49ers addressing the quarterback, linebacker, and wide receiver positions.
With Colin Kaepernick reportedly ready to void the remainder of his contract with the 49ers and become a free agent, the team will have no quarterbacks under contract for the 2017 season. While the quarterback class in this draft may not seem very exciting, Burke still has the 49ers addressing the position with the second overall selection.
Round 1: QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson
"Sorting out the 2017 QB pecking order remains almost impossible, and there are no trends to read in San Francisco with a rookie head coach, Kyle Shanahan, and rookie GM, John Lynch. Watson throws too many picks (17 this year) ... but so did Shanahan's most recent quarterback, Matt Ryan, who fired 19 INTs before Atlanta took him at No. 3 in 2008."
The 49ers suffered through 19 players being placed on Injured Reserve last season. One position that was hit hard was linebacker. Burke has the 49ers addressing that position in the second round.
Round 2: LB Ryan Anderson, Alabama
"Anderson showed via his coverage missteps at the Senior Bowl that he needs to be up on the line. He's a force there, against the run and pass."
Round 3: WR Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
The 49ers wide receiver position was also hit hard with injuries in 2016, and that was after Pro Football Focus ranked the group among the worst in the league. The 49ers' leading receiver, Jeremy Kerley, joined the team via a trade with the Detroit Lions just prior to the final exhibition game. Torrey Smith, who was the 49ers number one receiver, had just 20 catches in 2016.
