The San Francisco 49ers grabbed offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey in Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft, and then followed up with a Round 2 selection of wide receiver Dante Pettis. Now it's time to focus on the defense.
The San Francisco 49ers chose to upgrade the offense over the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft, taking Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9 overall and then Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis after a trade-up in Round 2.
These two moves might have shocked a few fans, who thought the Niners' first two picks would have focused on the defense. That said, there are still some options for San Francisco in Round 3. And the two names to watch here are Florida State edge rusher Josh Sweat and Stanford cornerback Quenton Meeks.
After finishing with 30 sacks last year -- tied for 26th in the NFL -- the 49ers clearly need a true edge bender off the outside. It's a need general manager John Lynch largely avoided this offseason, which means he'll need to hit on a quality pass-rusher in these middle rounds.
Sweat, 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, isn't quite at the level of top pass-rushers like NC State's Bradley Chubb or Boston College's Harold Landry. But he has a decent variety of pass-rushing moves, which largely negates any concerns of him getting pushed beyond the pocket.
Meanwhile, San Francisco can supplement cornerback depth by targeting Meeks.
At 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds, Meeks is the long-limbed defensive back prototypical for coordinator Robert Saleh's Cover 3 defense. He already met with the 49ers at their local pro day, even earning comparisons to current Niners cornerback Richard Sherman.
From Sherman, nonetheless.
With two picks in Round 3 (Nos. 70 and 95), we'll have to see if San Francisco's defensive needs are finally met.
Peter Panacy has been writing about the 49ers since 2011 for outlets like Bleacher Report, Niner Noise, 49ers Webzone, and is occasionally heard as a guest on San Francisco's 95.7 FM The Game and the Niners' flagship station, KNBR 680. Feel free to follow him, or direct any inquiries to his Twitter account.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
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