San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft Preview
By Zac Snyder
Preview provided by Eric Melendez. Head to Niner Noise for more on the San Francisco 49ers.
What are the team needs for the San Francisco 49ers heading into the draft?
The 49ers team needs heading into the draft is adding depth to important positions like safety, guard and defensive line. With exception to guard, the 49ers have solid starters at their need positions. The 49ers will most likely select the best guard available with their first-round pick because at right guard the only two options on the roster, Alex Boone and Daniel Kilgore, have zero starts between them.
Who are some prospects you’d like to see end up with the San Francisco 49ers?
The prospect I want to see the most drafted by the 49ers is Cordy Glenn, G/OT, from Georgia. Glenn is fast for his size and is really good at both run and pass blocking. There is a little concern Glenn spent most of his starts in college at tackle, the 49ers need someone at guard, but his versatility could be a huge asset for the 49ers. I doubt Glenn will still be on the board when the 49ers make their first-round selection at the 30th pick. If that is the case, the 49ers should go after Kevin Zeitler, G, from Wisconsin. Zeitler would fit in well in the 49ers power running game as he showed in college he can open up running lanes like he did for Wisconsin running back Montee Ball.
What would represent a successful draft in your opinion?
A successful draft would be adding depth on the roster at positions where the 49ers are aging/and or don’t have much depth. Positions like defensive end, safety, running back and tight end all need backups who can contribute as starters if called on.
Give us a bold prediction for your team.
The 49ers will trade up in the first-round of the draft to select a guard who can come in and start right away. The best guard available in my opinion is David DeCastro from Stanford. He is projected to go in the top-20 of the draft so the 49ers would need to trade up to somewhere between the 10th and 15th pick to make sure they draft DeCastro.