First, we have to assume the Arizona Cardinals are selecting quarterback Kyler Murray of Oklahoma. Damond Talbot of NFL Draft Diamonds recently surveyed seven NFL scouts and asked them a series of draft-related questions. Each believed that Murray would go No. 1 overall after the Cardinals hand in their draft card next week.
"When I asked them how long this love has been going on, they said it was done before the Combine," wrote Talbot.
With most of the media and those in NFL circles believing a Murray-to-Arizona scenario is inevitable, that leaves the 49ers with the top defensive prospects — probably the top overall prospects, too — available.
What do these NFL scouts envision San Francisco doing with the No. 2 pick? All seven forecast the 49ers further bolstering their pass rush and selecting defensive end Nick Bosa of Ohio State.
The selection would address one of San Francisco's most glaring deficiencies. The team added pass rusher Dee Ford via a trade in March but adding another talented edge defender might turn one of the team's biggest weaknesses into a potential strength.
While the need is apparent, the seven NFL scouts don't all agree that Bosa is the best player available at that spot. When asked who the best overall player in this year's draft class is, only two named Bosa while three named defensive tackle Quinnen Williams of Alabama. None, by the way, named Murray.
Williams is another player the 49ers have expressed interest in with one report stating that team decision-makers are enamored with him. The 49ers could be envisioning a pairing of Williams and DeForest Buckner along the interior of the defensive line, or with contract extension negotiations in their early stages, perhaps a long-term insurance policy should a deal not get done.
"[Williams'] best spot would be as the 3-technique, which is DeForest Buckner's spot," Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently pointed out on 95.7 The Game. "So do you take a guy at No. 2 knowing that you've already have a star player at the very best position that he plays?"
Of course, Buckner hopes to remain with the 49ers for the foreseeable future.
"I'm really just looking forward to being here with the team long-term," Buckner told reporters on Wednesday, "and I know Jed (York), and John (Lynch), and Paraag (Marathe), and all them, Kyle (Shanahan), they all know that. They know what I can bring to the table, and what I bring to the team. There's no rush to it."
The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 25 from Nashville, Tennessee.
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