49ers mailbag: Is an overhaul in the secondary coming? Sherman to strong safety?
Tired of being quarantined? Is your dog mercifully hoping for some much-needed alone time? Do you have too many Amazon boxes to fit in your weekly recycling?
Take a load off and tap into our latest mailbag coming a week ahead of the NFL draft.
Brian asks: Last off-season the front office went all in on improving the pass rush. Is this the off-season that they attack cornerback through the draft or are they lining up NEXT offseason to address it through free agency and the draft?
It’s an interesting point, because after the 2018 draft, when the 49ers didn’t take any defensive ends to bolster the pass rush, Kyle Shanahan hinted there weren’t viable upgrades available as he used his first two picks on offense by taking Mike McGlinchey and Dante Pettis.
“You’ve got to be pretty good to beat out (Cassius) Marsh. You’ve got to be pretty good to beat out (Arik) Armstead,” Shanahan said. “If you get (pass rushers), someone else has got to get cut and we’ve got a pretty good group.”
The 2018 season proved the 49ers didn’t have a very good group of edge defenders. Their 37 sacks were 23rd in the NFL while Marsh and Ronald Blair III each had 5.5 sacks trailing DeForest Buckner’s team-leading 12.0. The lack of punch off the edge led directly to acquiring Dee Ford and drafting Nick Bosa, who combined for 15.5 sacks after Marsh was cut. And you’ll remember San Francisco had the league’s best pass defense.
It’s possible they approach one of their other needs with multiple additions next week. They could use help at receiver, cornerback, defensive tackle and offensive tackle.
With those four pretty glaring needs (cases could also be made for another tight end, guard/center and strong safety), it’s hard to say if Shanahan and John Lynch would rather hit one area like they did last offseason.
My guess, they use their No. 13 pick on the best player available that plays receiver, offensive tackle or defensive tackle, and fill out the rest of their needs by trading back from No. 31 for picks in rounds 2 and 3, where this draft class appears deep, especially at cornerback.
Early asks: With his Decline in speed, but willingness to tackle, do you think Richard Sherman should be a better fit at safety?
I don’t know how much better Sherman could have been last year. He was the top cornerback on the top pass defense in the league. Pro Football Focus gave him the highest coverage grade of any player in the league.
The point about Sherman losing a step is valid. But even Sherman at 95 percent of what he was last season is still an elite corner. And he would likely have to play strong safety given the range needed to play deep in the scheme (Jimmie Ward was re-signed to play free safety).
I don’t see Sherman being asked to play strong safety over Jaquiski Tartt, who’s a good player when healthy, though I’m sure Sherman would be up to the challenge.
Early asks: If Isaiah Simmons is there at any pick after 9, should we not look to trade up?
I don’t think so.
Linebacker seems like the most solidified position on the roster with Fred Warner, Kwon Alexander, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair all under contract. Tartt a good option at strong safety, so it doesn’t look like Simmons is a fit.
Though I’m sure the 49ers would love to have him on their team so they don’t have to worry about him covering George Kittle for another team.
Gold Blooded asks: Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, a high draft pick, and Richie James (for his return ability) likely take up four of six receiver roster spots. Who’s on the outside looking in if/when OTAs start?
The other players in that mix will be newcomer Travis Benjamin, Dante Pettis, Trent Taylor, Marquise Goodwin and Jalen Hurd. Chris Thompson and Shawn Poindexter are on the outside looking in.
There’s no doubt the receiver battle is shaping up to be one of the most crowded and competitive of training camp. I’d list Taylor as a favorite to make the team, assuming he’s healthy. Shanahan said he was the team’s best offensive player during camp last summer before his five foot surgeries cost him the season.
Pettis is a wild card. He showed plenty of promise as a rookie before struggling to get on the field last year. Goodwin has put together two straight disappointing seasons after flashing with Jimmy Garoppolo in 2017. It would be surprising if the 49ers favored Benjamin at this point, who played under Shanahan in Cleveland.
Hurd is the toughest to figure out. The fact he was away from the team throughout the playoff run and stayed home from the Super Bowl because of a stress fracture in his back is concerning. Lynch said at the combine he expected Hurd to be available for the offseason conditioning program (before it was canceled due to COVID-19). But if he were that close to being medically cleared, wouldn’t he have wanted to join his teammates in Miami? Something doesn’t add up.
Hurd, of course, could also be in the mix at tight end, which could simplify the decision at receiver.
Tyler asks: Even if Joe Staley plays one more year, if top tier tackle is there at 13, is that the pick? Or do they make the splashy receiver pick?
I don’t know. It depends on how they rank those players on their board (sorry for the cop-out answer).
If they like Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs or Jedrick Wills better than CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs III, they’ll go tackle.
Or they could take one of the receivers and find a tackle at No. 31, like Josh Jones (Houston), Ezra Cleveland (Boise State) or Austin Jackson (USC).
The determination will be made by who’s available at which spots. Smart teams don’t go into the draft with one position in mind for each pick. They identify the players they like, rank them accordingly, and draft them where there’s the most value.
They could go Thomas at 13 and Brandon Aiyuk at 31. Or they could Ruggs at 13 and Cleveland at 31. The good thing about this draft class is it has good players at areas of need for the 49ers.