CARSON, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Tight end George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates his touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on September 30, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers picked second overall on Thursday, April 25, taking Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa to bolster their defensive front seven. San Francisco fans will now look to the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26 to see who else the 49ers will potentially add to their roster.
Barring any trades, San Francisco will select once in the second round and once in the third round. The 49ers’ first pick on Friday night will be the fourth pick of the second round, no. 36 overall. San Francisco will then be on the clock again when the third pick of the third round comes up, at no. 67 overall.
It’s possible that the 49ers could stay on the defensive side of the ball with their next two picks. The defensive secondary is a good possibility for where San Francisco will go next. Among cornerbacks, Lonnie Johnson from Kentucky, Michigan State’s Justin Layne, and Temple’s Rock Ya-Sin are all still on the board. At safety, Nasir Adderley from Delaware could be an option along with Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson or Alabama’s Deionte Thompson. It’s possible San Francisco could go in another direction at no. 36 overall, however.
On the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers are in need of a wide receiver who can make plays in the red zone. It’s possible they could go wide receiver at no. 36, but less likely than going defensive back because the pool of wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft class simply isn’t as strong as the defensive backs. If San Francisco does opt for a pass-catcher at no. 36 overall, Mississippi’s D.K. Metcalf, Bosa’s college teammate Parris Campbell or Metcalf’s college teammate A.J. Brown would be the smallest reaches early in the second round.
In the third round, it’s more likely that the 49ers could address the offensive side of the ball. If one of the better wide receiver prospects falls and is available at no. 67 overall, San Francisco likely won’t hesitate to spend that pick that way. If there aren’t any receiver prospects the 49ers like available at that time, the offensive line is the next likely destination. Among the top prospects at guard likely available when San Francisco’s third-round pick comes up are Wisconsin’s Beau Benzschawel, Wake Forest’s Phil Haynes, and Oklahoma’s Dru Samia.
Another area of need on the defensive side is inside linebacker. Benzshawel’s college teammate T.J. Edwards, West Virginia’s David Long, and Stanford’s Bobby Okereke will probably be available at no. 67 but it’s possible that San Francisco might hold off and see if they could get one of them on the third day of the draft.
A darkhorse possibility is that the 49ers could double-down on edge rushers with their third-round pick to complement Bosa and the recently-acquired Dee Ford. Oklahoma State’s Jordan Brallford, Oregon’s Jalen Jelks, and Jachai Polite might still be on the board at that spot if San Francisco decides to spend their third pick in that way.
49ers fans will found out for sure what their favorite NFL team will do with their second and third-round picks on Friday, April 26. Determining how those selections will work out for the team will take much more time, however.