49ers, Raiders gearing up for their picks
The 49ers have lost a slew of significant players since finishing an 8-8 non-playoff season, but general manager Trent Baalke recently sounded as if his roster rivaled those of the ’70s-era Steelers during a predraft meeting with the media.
The situation at cornerback, Trent? “We feel good about the depth,” he said.
Outside linebacker? “I think a lot of people would like to be in our situation.”
Offensive line? “We feel very good about where we’re at.”
Running back? “We’re excited.”
Defensive line? “Numberswise, we feel very good about where we’re at.”
OK, but you probably need to select a wide receiver early in the draft, right, Trent? “Don’t feel we have to be pressured into making a decision like that.”
You get the idea. However, contrary to what the supersecretive GM would like the league to believe, the 49ers won’t be donating their No. 15 overall pick. In fact, a case could be made that they should address cornerback, defensive line or wide receiver with their first selection.
Here’s a look at possibilities at each of those positions:
Cornerback: In a pass-happy league, the 49ers have a problem: After free agents Chris Culliver (Washington) and Perrish Cox (Tennessee) exited, Tramaine Brock is their only slam-dunk starting corner and he missed 13 games in an injury-plagued 2014 season.
The 49ers figure to have a chance to select Oakland native Marcus Peters (6-foot, 198 pounds), who is regarded by many as the draft’s best cornerback. However, there’s a catch: Peters comes with serious character concerns after he was dismissed from Washington in November following a string of disciplinary issues.
The 49ers probably won’t wrestle with that decision if Michigan State’s Trae Waynes (6-0, 188) is still available. Waynes, who could be selected a few spots before the 49ers pick, is competing with Peters for the best-cornerback tag and is free of off-the-field incidents. Waynes had the fastest 40-yard dash (4.31 seconds) among defensive backs at the combine.
Defensive line: NFL Network’s Mike Mayock is one of several national draft analysts who has connected the 49ers to Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead at No. 15. Armstead, who’s from Sacramento, could assist an in-flux front: The 49ers released Ray McDonald in December and could lose another mainstay, Justin Smith, who is still pondering retirement.
Armstead (6-7, 292 pounds) has a unique blend of size and athleticism: The tallest defensive lineman at the combine, he was also a member of Oregon’s basketball team for two seasons. However, he is raw, partly because he didn’t focus solely on football until last year. Armstead didn’t become a full-time starter until his junior season in 2014, when he didn’t have eyepopping production (46 tackles, 5.5 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks).
Mayock mentioned Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown, who is a more NFL-ready option and is generally rated higher than Armstead. However, Brown (6-2, 319) might be better suited at nose tackle in a 3-4 defense and the arms-obsessed Baalke presumably isn’t impressed with the modest length of Brown’s levers (32½ inches).
Wide receiver: For the second straight season, the wideout class is regarded as perhaps the most talented-stuffed position group in the draft. Last year, nine rookie wide receivers had at least 48 catches and 548 yards.
Baalke insisted that the 49ers don’t have a pressing need with Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith entrenched as starters, but Boldin will turn 35 in October and Smith isn’t viewed as a No. 1 wideout.
The depth of this year’s class could allow the 49ers to wait until the second or third round and still select a quality passcatcher such as Ohio State’s Devin Smith. Still, they’d have to be tempted if Louisville’s DeVante Parker, widely regarded as the draft’s third-best wideout, fell to No. 15.