One of the 49ers’ dream scenarios plays out early in the first round of Mel Kiper’s third mock draft of the season.
An early run on quarterbacks, offensive linemen and defensive linemen allows all of the wide receivers to fall to them with the No. 13 pick. With that selection they acquired in the DeForest Buckner trade, they scoop up Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
If Jeudy is available at No. 13, the 49ers would probably sprint to the podium since he checks all the boxes for what they need across from Deebo Samuel.
Jeudy measured in at 6-1, 193 pounds at the combine, and he does all the things Kyle Shanahan typically likes a receiver to do. He’s a terrific route runner who didn’t rely heavily on his offense to scheme him open in college.
It didn’t take long for Jeudy to make a huge impact on the Crimson Tide offense either. He put up 68 catches for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore, then backed it up with 77 receptions for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior.
This is a deep receiver class, and it wouldn’t be a disaster if Jeudy didn’t fall to San Francisco. However, landing Jeudy would give them the best chance to elevate their offense beyond the peak it reached with Samuel, Emmanuel Sanders and Kendrick Bourne last season.
There’s a strong chance the 49ers trade back from No. 31, especially if they get the best available receiver with their first selection.
Instead of moving back out of the first round though, they stick at 31 in Kiper’s mock and snag cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (pronounced ig-bin-AH-ghen-ee) from Auburn.
This is an intriguing selection that could wind up being the pick for San Francisco if they move down from 31 a few spots.
Igbinoghene is a fascinating athlete. He’s 5-10, 198 pounds and posted a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash. Both of his parents were Olympic track athletes, and he ran track for one year at Auburn according to the school’s athletics site. He joined the football team as a receiver and posted six catches for 24 yards as a freshman while also shouldering most of the kick return duties.
He made the switch to defense the following spring and immediately made an impact by winning the starting cornerback job. He finished his sophomore season with 50 tackles, 11 pass breakups, one interception and a forced fumble. Igbinoghene’s statistical production dipped a little as a junior with 42 tackles and seven pass breakups. Still, he enters the draft as Kiper’s No. 3 cornerback.
The raw talent is extremely enticing for San Francisco though, especially given their situation. They don’t necessarily need a cornerback right away, but Richard Sherman, Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley are all set to be free agents at the end of the season. The one-year buffer allows Igbinoghene a season of NFL coaching to pair with the physical tools that immediately made him a successful cornerback in the SEC. If he wins a starting job in Year 1, that’s just a bonus for the 49ers. Plus, he can return kicks which gives him some added value in the event that he doesn’t step in as a starter on defense right away.
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