ClutchPoints
The San Francisco 49ers have grabbed NFL Draft gems over the years. Regardless if they plucked them from the first or seventh round (Brock Purdy regarding the latter).
April’s upcoming draft, however, presents a far pivotal one for general manager John Lynch. The GM and head coach Kyle Shanahan need this draft class to reignite enthusiasm for the 49ers. San Francisco endured a rough offseason — from trading Deebo Samuel to losing top cornerback Charvarius Ward.
The Samuel move handed the 49ers an extra draft pick for the fifth round. But we’re thinking about selection No. 11 here. The 49ers are already urged to nab Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen at that spot. Even Texas star Jahdae Barron is a new contender at 11th overall.
There are prospects Lynch, Shanahan and company must avoid, though. It’s time to dive into who’s not worth taking with the 11th selection of the draft based off fit, potential and overall play.
Stewart brings astounding athletic gifts. There’s no disputing that especially when tracing back to his NFL Combine performance.
But let’s not let the athleticism fool us when watching his game closely. Stewart looked like he didn’t bring a pass rush plan on Saturdays and trusted his athleticism more. This defensive line requires bringing a field plan and attacking with it.
Furthermore, Stewart exposed his chest too much which got blockers to beat him immediately. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek would need to spend a lot of teaching time with Stewart if the 49ers draft him.
He’s equipped with a high athletic ceiling, but his lack of fundamentals makes him more of a project here. He’s projected to fall all the way to No. 31 to the Kansas City Chiefs per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman Wednesday.
The 49ers can address Samuel’s potential replacement at No. 11. McMillan, however, is simply not it. Not after his widely-debated pro day.
McMillan delivered a disappointing 4.55 time in the 40-yard dash. He even drew confusion following the report McMillan blazed his 40 in 4.48.
Shanahan and Lynch can fawn over McMillan’s combination of elite size and red zone production. But the Niners have Jauan Jennings already as the tall inside-the-20 target. Tight end George Kittle also serves a similar role.
Oh, this is a yards-after-catch offense that turned Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk into stars. McMillan’s concerning speed makes him a longshot to last in the Bay Area.
He’s slowly becoming the McMillan for cornerbacks. Another words — Johnson brings his own concerns over how fast he really is.
He reportedly runs between the 4.45 to 4.48 range. But that type of speed becomes worrisome for two reasons: The NFC West wideouts the 49ers already face and the absence of Talanoa Hufanga — another massive free agency loss.
Johnson, though, brings a strong set of hands that forces interceptions (took three back for touchdowns in his career). Many around...
