The 49ers on Monday added an additional first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft in exchange for defensive lineman DeForest Buckner. They’re now slated to pick No. 13 overall and No. 31 overall, which dramatically changes how they can go about attacking the draft.
Luke Easterling of the Draft Wire offered a mock draft after the trade that sent playmakers on both sides of the ball to San Francisco.
With the No. 13 pick, the 49ers took Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy measured in at 6-1, 193 pounds at the NFL combine with a 4.45 40-yard dash. He is a very good route runner with the explosiveness to quickly gobble up space created for receivers in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Across his last two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Jeudy caught 145 passes for 2,478 yards and 24 touchdowns in 28 games. He is a dynamic playmaker in all three levels of the passing game and could immediately step in as an additional playmaker across from Deebo Samuel, and make up for the possible loss of veteran Emmanuel Sanders in free agency.
With the No. 31 pick in Easterling’s mock, the 49ers stuck with LSU safety Grant Delpit – a popular mock draft selection for them.
Even with the No. 13 pick, San Francisco could easily wind up trading back from 31 to scoop up some of their missing Day 2 or early Day 3 picks. However, if they wind up staying there, the only way a safety is even in play is if Jimmie Ward leaves in free agency.
Delpit is a 6-2, 213-pound do-everything safety who may not have the range Ward has as the deep safety in the 49ers’ defense, but he has very good coverage skills and he shows up all over the place when watching LSU.
While replacing Ward wouldn’t be easy, Delpit has a diverse enough skill set that it’s easy to see all the various ways he’d fit in the 49ers’ defense either as a deep safety or coming down into the box and making plays closer to the line of scrimmage.
If the 49ers do wind up signing Ward and staying put at No. 31, a cornerback or interior offensive lineman could be in play for San Francisco as they aim to fill out the depth on an already strong roster.
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