The 49ers lack a distinct need as they approach this year’s draft. Their needs are present in all places.
They have a record of 6-10 as they approach the last game of the season and presently possess the 11th pick. In an ideal situation, they ought to select the top player available. They cannot afford to miss yet another blue-chip talent given their poor drafting record in Round 1 since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch became part of the team in 2017.
For this reason, Sterling Xie of Pro Football Network forecasts that the 49ers will select East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. with the 11th pick.
“Charvarius Ward is a free agent, which could leave the San Francisco 49ers dangerously lacking in starting cornerbacks,” Xie states. “The Niners appeared to hint at Ward’s forthcoming departure by extending Deommodore Lenoir this season, especially with numerous upcoming contracts (including Brock Purdy’s) on the offensive side.” Nonetheless, selecting a high-caliber player such as Shavon Revel Jr. would alleviate the discomfort expected when Ward presumably leaves in free agency. Revel may not be prepared to compete immediately following his ACL tear in September, but he likely won’t miss his entire rookie season. The 49ers have a track record of making bold moves for injured yet talented prospects, and Revel might be the next in that drafting trend.
Selecting a lockdown cornerback like Revel would be wise since he would enable the defense to employ man-to-man coverage and blitz, enhancing the performance of the existing pass rushers on the team.
However, the 49ers haven’t utilized a top-60 selection on a cornerback since 2002, and they recently used a late second-round pick on cornerback Renardo Green last year. I seriously doubt they will use their first-round pick this year on another cornerback, even if he is the top player available. For good or ill, you can nearly assure they’ll select a lineman.
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