2020 NFL Draft: Grading each San Francisco 49ers draft pick

Grading the San Francisco 49ers haul in the 2020 NFL Draft. Did they get it right in round one?

It’s been quite the offseason for the San Francisco 49ers. After failing to close out a sixth Lombardi trophy and falling at the hands of Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Niners moved on to making sure they’d have the pieces for another run at a title in 2021.

They first signed defensive lineman Arik Armstead to a five-year extension worth $85 million, which seemed puzzling to analysts. Then, they moved DeForest Buckner to the Colts for the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. With just one pick in the first two days of the draft, that move made sense for them to acquire more talent and potentially trade back and get more picks.

Losing guys like Buckner and Emmanuel Sanders certainly hurt, but with that extra first-rounder, the Niners were able to make something happen. They also traded away running back Matt Breida to acquire an extra day three selection.

With the draft over, let’s look at the San Francisco 49ers draft haul and hand out some grades!

The 49ers ended up trading back one spot from 13 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in order for Tampa to secure Tristan Wirfs. That move gave them a fourth-round pick to work with, and they came with Javon Kinlaw, who looked like their top target from the moment the Buckner trade went through.

Kinlaw is a fierce competitor on the defensive line, and his abilities as a pass rusher are outstanding. He can stack and shed in the running game and should be able to collapse the pocket with ease for the 49ers from the 3-tech spot. His motor also runs hot and he should have no problem seeing a large number of snaps in his rookie season. This was an excellent pick that should still have the defensive line humming.

Grade: A