What 49ers combine meetings may tell us about shift in draft strategy
It’s important to note up top here that NFL combine meetings don’t typically give us much in the way of insight into what player a team is interested in selecting in the NFL draft.
Teams cast a wide net at the combine when it comes to their official and unofficial meetings. This is the first time they’re getting to talk to some or all of the prospects on any kind of in-depth level. However, in the case of the San Francisco 49ers, we may be learning a little bit about a potential shift in draft strategy.
This year San Francisco holds the No. 11 overall pick in the draft.
It’s a key spot for them because in an ideal world they won’t be picking anywhere near the top 10 again any time soon. They also have a needs in the trenches on both sides of the ball where a top prospect could make a significant difference in Year 1.
The 49ers will certainly have their eye on defensive linemen both on the edges and at defensive tackle. Per 49ers Webzone the 49ers have had combine meetings with Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen, Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr., Texas A&M DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M DT Shemar Turner and Indiana DT CJ West. Neither Turner nor West are expected to be first-round selections.
Another meeting sticks out though. They also had a meeting with Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Some analysts have Johnson among their top-five players in this year’s class, and most early mock drafts had him going well before the No. 11 pick. Recent mocks from NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah and Mel Kiper both had the 49ers selecting Johnson.
It may just be due diligence, but it would be a pretty stark departure from the norm if the 49ers selected a cornerback in the first round. Their selection of Florida State’s Renardo Green with the final pick in the second round of last year’s draft was the earliest they’d taken a CB in the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era.
We wrote last season that the 49ers could be shifting the way they’re building their defense. For years they prioritized the defensive line and tried to piece together a secondary. Now with the second-round investment in Green and a contract extension for CB Deommodore Lenoir, there may be a change in philosophy happening. Perhaps the 49ers fell into a strong secondary where they’ll spend money and resources there while piecing together a defensive line with later-round picks and bargain bin free agents.
Even if it isn’t a conscious shift and more a matter of circumstance with how the draft board fell and how negotiations with Lenoir went, Johnson falling to them at No. 11 overall may continue feeding that circumstance. There’s a chance the 49ers met with Johnson because he’s highly ranked for them and they know there’s a chance he falls.
In that event we may see the 49ers simply select the best player available and alter course on their quest to rebuild their defensive line with non-first-round picks (see: Turner and West). This will be interesting to keep an eye on as the draft gets closer. If the 49ers continue getting linked to Johnson, there may be another big investment in the secondary on the horizon.
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