© Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
49ers fans watched Sunday’s slate of games with wandering eyeballs. That’s because several contests affected San Francisco’s standing in the 2019 NFL Draft. Entering Week 17, the 49ers could have picked anywhere from No. 1 to No. 5 overall, depending on varying results.
Now we know — the 49ers will pick No. 2 overall. The 49ers lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 48-32, in their season finale.
This wasn’t so straightforward entering Sunday. The 49ers needed two of the following four teams to win in order to pick ahead of the Jets: the Cowboys, Falcons, Browns, and Broncos. The 49ers got the two they needed, with the Cowboys and Falcons both winning close games before the afternoon slate of games began. That guaranteed the No. 2 pick with a 49ers loss.
As the Rams led a rout over the 49ers, the Cardinals and Seahawks were surprisingly deadlocked in a tight battle. If the Cardinals had won, the 49ers would have picked first if they lost.
That nearly came to fruition. The Cardinals-Seahawks matchup teetered back and forth throughout the second half. The final 16 minutes were played with both teams within three points of each other. The Seahawks ultimately held the Cardinals to a field goal, which tied the game, then connected with a field goal to seal the 27-24 win.
The 49ers’ season finale was more lopsided. They turned the ball over four times on their first five offensive possessions, and the Rams took a 28-3 lead with six minutes remaining in the second quarter. They cruised thereafter.
The 49ers now have a top-10 pick for the fourth straight draft. The No. 2 pick is the highest they have had since they selected quarterback Alex Smith No. 1 overall in 2005. Two drafts ago, in 2017, the 49ers traded their No. 2 pick to the Chicago Bears for the No. 3, 67, and 111 overall picks in the draft, along with a third-rounder in 2018.
The early consensus of the 2019 class is that it’s loaded with edge rushers, which is the 49ers’ biggest need. The crop includes Ohio State’s Nick Bosa (considered the top prospect in the draft), Kentucky’s Josh Allen, Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell, and Michigan’s Rashan Gary, to name a few. Houston’s Ed Oliver is a talented defensive tackle with superior pass-rushing skills. Defensive tackles Clemson’s Dexter Lawrence and Alabama’s Quinnen Williams are top-10 projected picks.
The 49ers, which drafted defensive linemen in the first round in 2015, 2016, and 2017, may look elsewhere. But, with the No. 2 pick, one thing is sure: they will have plenty of options, as Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch enter the most pressure-packed offseason of their 49ers tenure.