Coin flip favors the 49ers
S.F. earns No. 9 first-round draft pick after winning coin toss with Oakland
INDIANAPOLIS >> The 49ers officially own the No. 9 pick in the 2018 NFL draft after winning a coin toss against the Raiders on Friday.
Both teams finished with identical 6-10 records and a .512 strength of schedule (the tiebreaker), so a coin toss at the NFL Combine determined who will pick ninth, and who drops to 10th. Former Raider and 49er Rod Woodson flipped the coin in front of the bench press at the Indiana Convention Center around 12:30 p.m. EST, and it landed with the 49ers logo facing up.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden clearly had better things to do than partake in the live production. “Let’s get on with this man,” he said before the flip. “Let’s flip the coin. I’m excited. Let’s roll.”
Asked for his thoughts by NFL Network after the flip, Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie simply said, “Bad flip.”
Here’s a video of the proceedings: McKenzie downplayed the significance of the coin toss while speaking with local reporters on Wednesday, but the win may pay off for San Francisco with both Bay Area teams needing edge rushers, linebackers and cornerbacks.
A couple of those possible common targets: Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, Ohio State cornerback
Denzel Ward, Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson and maybe even LSU defensive end Arden Key and UTSA defensive end Marcus Davenport.
In each subsequent round after the first, the Raiders and 49ers flip those first picks, rather than the 49ers picking first each time because they won the toss.
In the second round, the Patriots pick acquired from San Francisco in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade will be the 43rd selection because of the flip result.
The full top 10 goes as follows: 1. Cleveland;
2. Giants; 3. Indianapolis; 4. Cleveland; 5. Denver; 6. Jets; 7. Tampa Bay; 8. Chicago; 9. 49ers;
10. Raiders. This year’s draft takes place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.