3 Bold Predictions for the 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Michael Luciano
The San Francisco 49ers watched NFC rivals like the New Orleans Saints improve their defense and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers add Tom Brady, which puts extra pressure on John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to nail it in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 49ers have the 13th and 31st picks in the draft, but they don't own a pick in the second, third, or fourth rounds. In order to recoup some of those picks, the 49ers might have to get really bold on draft day to repeat as NFC Champions.
3. They Load up on Wide Receivers
The 49ers are expected to try to acquire some mid-round picks with the purpose of loading up on promising wide receivers. Considering what a gem they found in Deebo Samuel last year, players like Baylor's Denzel Mims, Penn State's KJ Hamler, or USC's Michael Pittman Jr. could easily slide into Shanahan's offense and help Jimmy Garoppolo sustain his production from his breakout 2019 season.
2. They Trade Out of the First Round Completely
The 49ers have been one of the better teams in the league at finding talent in the middle rounds of the draft, so a GM as smart as Lynch might capitalize on that strength and trade away both of his first-round picks. San Francisco really doesn't have enough of a pressing need on their roster at this juncture, which could prompt them to add an avalanche of Day 2 and 3 picks in order to bolster the roster with quality depth pieces.
1. Jaquiski Tartt Gets Traded
Pass rusher Dee Ford and linebacker Kwon Alexander have also cropped up in the rumor mill, but Tartt might be the most likely of the three to be traded away. Tartt is skilled at covering ground in Robert Saleh's defense, which required safeties to hang back in Cover 3 frequently. However, this class has some gems at defensive back, and Tartt could be used to net San Francisco a mid-round pick in order to stock up at that position.