The 49ers own the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, so let’s dive into what they could orchestrate to pump up the roster.
Scenario No. 1: Draft Josh Allen
Waiting for the best player to fall to you at No. 2 isn’t a long wait, as one of the best defensive linemen will be there. The buzz around the draft and player anecdotes have yielded one conclusion: Josh Allen is a ridiculously good football player.
Whether it’s his ability to bend around tackles with a smooth blend of speed and agility, or his effectiveness in coverage, no other player was talked about in higher regard than No. 41 from Kentucky. The 49ers take Josh Allen second overall and don’t look back.
Scenario No. 2: Draft Nick Bosa
When Kyler Murray goes to Arizona first overall, the 49ers still have their choice of the best player in the draft, Nick Bosa. Per Pro Football Focus’s metrics, Bosa had the highest-rated season for a defensive player in college football since the inception of the site. He posted a clean 4.79 in the 40-yard dash, 29 bench press reps (five more than his brother, Joey) and, most importantly for his position, a 4.14 20-yard shuttle, testing agility and bend.
But where Bosa shined most was the on-field position drills, looking fluid and fast, solidifying what he represented on tape throughout his three years at Ohio State. Bosa has been compared as a “better” version of his older brother, who was taken third overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. If that is the case, you make the pick and get excited for an absolutely menacing defensive line for years to come. Niners take Bosa, and he becomes one of the top edge rushers in the NFL.
Scenario No. 3: 49ers trade down with Giants for the sixth pick and Odell Beckham, Jr.
Maybe this is wishful thinking, but in the Twitter-verse it could be arguably substantiated. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic reported the 49ers essentially have the pick of “Nick Bosa or OBJ on a plate” if Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants were enamored with Haskins and needed to move up in the draft. The Giants would use Beckham in a package to send to San Francisco for the No. 2 overall pick.
Sounds crazy? It’s actually not as far-fetched as it seems. Consider this: in order for the Los Angeles Rams to move up from 15th to first in the 2016 NFL Draft, they sent a package of their first-round pick, two second-rounders, and a third-rounder, along with a 2017 first- and third-rounder, to the Tennessee Titans. That is a massive haul to move up 14 spots in the draft.
New York’s brass views two firsts as worthy compensation for Beckham in a trade; it seems like to move up four spots in the draft to the No. 2 position, a premium spot to pick up premium talent, would require a premium package. Beckham to San Francisco, who also get the sixth pick, selecting Devin White out of LSU. Meanwhile, the Giants get the second overall pick and ensure they get their guy in Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
Scenario No. 4: 49ers draft D.K. Metcalf
When Metcalf ran an official 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, scouts, coaches, and the general human race were shocked, stunned and bewildered at how a man of his stature (6-foot-5, 237 pounds with a reported 1.6 percent body fat) could be this in-human. Metcalf’s production at Ole Miss is something to consider, never topping 700 yards receiving, but that shouldn’t deter teams away. Ole Miss sported a receiving set of Metcalf, A.J. Brown and Damarkus Lodge, all three of whom are projected to go in the top three rounds, with the latter two projected to go in the first. The point? That’s a lot of hands to feed, and solid, productive hands at that. Metcalf not being the primary target at Ole Miss explains his dip in production, but when he was on the field and the ball was headed his way, he made the most of it, displaying bursts off the line and hard breaks out of his routes with good hip snap and elite high point ability.
Many scouts project Metcalf to have a stronger presence at the NFL level due to the scheme Ole Miss ran offensively, predominantly running vertical routes which limited his potential and allowed cornerbacks to anticipate his movements which eventually led to simply scheming around them. And still, Metcalf is the best receiving prospect the NFL has seen since Julio Jones, a similar blend of size and speed.
Drafting him second overall would give the 49ers the elite playmaker on the outside they have sorely missed since the departure of Terrell Owens (a very long time ago).
The feeling of the second overall pick is tricky; it is powerful and requires great responsibility. To colossally mess it up is easy, but to knock it out of the park with an absolute blue chip player is easy, too.
So what direction will the 49ers go and what will determine the decision? So much, so let’s hope for the best, because the best is the only expectation the 49ers faithful should have.
