It’s my favorite time of the season:
Mock draft season.
We’ll be doing more than a few of these over the next few weeks, but with the Niners still showing big holes on both sides of the ball, we should identify some top targets now, five weeks before the NFL Draft.
As of publishing, the 49ers have three picks in the first three rounds, Nos. 31, 63, and 94.
And while it’s always imperative to nail your draft picks, that need is increased given those holes mentioned above, the team’s wide-open Super Bowl window, and the need (which has been present for a few years) to increase overall depth.
So, if things break just right, here’s where I see the Niners heading today:
31. Ennis Rakestraw. CB. Mizzou
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The 49ers want to return to the team’s Cover-3 roots this upcoming season, and Rakestraw is the kind of No. 2 cornerback — opposite Charvarius Ward and outside of Deommodore Lenoir— who fits that mold.
Is he the biggest, strongest, or fastest? Nope.
(That’s not to say he’s not big, strong, or fast.)
But he plays the game with an edge. You’re not running to his side of the field, and any receiver he lines up against will know he is there. His physicality, toughness, and competitive streak separate him. Cornerback is a tough position — playing it’s almost a fool’s errand. Rakestraw doesn’t suffer fools — he’s out to make something happen. You can’t teach that kind of temperament, and it’s necessary to be effective in that position in the NFL.
Combined, the three “cornerbacks” in the Niners’ base nickel defense would be as physical as any group in the NFL, save for the Chiefs, who pushed the Niners’ receivers (especially Deebo Samuel) around in the Super Bowl.
Rakestraw might not have that massive upside, but he’d immediately fill a hole on this 49ers’ roster. And seeing as Day One picks should really be playing on day one of the season, that’s a huge win.
63. Ruke Orhorhoro. DT. Clemson
Is he the 330-pound grizzly bear I think the 49ers should add to help stop the run?
No.
But Ruke Orhorhoro is the type of defensive tackle the 49ers love for their one-gap scheme: Explosive and slippery.
I haven’t talked to defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, but I can already tell you this is his guy.
The Niners seem keen to shore up their faltering run defense by returning to their tried-and-true tactic of bursting into the backfield to stop a run before it really starts.
That’s all Orhorhoro did at Clemson.
There’s room for him to be a bit larger, but all you need to know about him is that he is an elite tester at the Niners’ favorite draft test for defensive lineman: He broad-jumped 116 inches, which is in the top 5 percent of all defensive tackles tested ever.
If he’s sitting at 63, I imagine the 49ers will broad-jump out of their draft-room chairs to pick him.
94. Zak Zinter. OG. Michigan
This guy was arguably the best guard in the country this season. Looking back at my notes from the college football season, I wrote down his name and “Dude” three separate times. In short, whenever I watched Michigan, I noticed how good their right guard was. (I know, I’m a dork.)
But I’m hardly alone in praising Zinter: he was a first-team All-American and a finalist for just about any award he could win. Frankly, he should be an option for the 49ers at pick No. 31.
So why is he available here? Well, he had a gruesome leg injury in the Wolverines’ game against Ohio State — breaking your shin will raise some concerns.
Let other teams worry about it. The 49ers don’t need Zinter to start immediately and can afford to bring him along slowly if needed.
But with guards getting $20 million a year on the free agent market and serious question marks at all three interior offensive line spots, the possibility of Zinter at No. 94 is too good for the Niners to pass up.
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