Insider notes on 49ers: Drafting Mykel Williams in Round 1, failing to address O-Line, and more

Entering the draft, the San Francisco 49ers were a team looking for help on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Edge rusher, defensive tackle and blockers were the priority. They had a stroke of good fortune when the player they coveted fell into their laps.

With almost a dozen picks entering the draft, the Niners were rumored to be a team looking to move into the top 10 for one of the top pass rushers. The player they wanted was Mykel Williams, and when the Georgia junior fell into their laps, they wasted little time getting the card to the commissioner. Williams is a prospect with tremendous upside as well as growth potential. He showed a lot of ability in spurts last season and needs only more time and physical maturity before he’ll round out his game. All things considered, this was a terrific pick by San Francisco.

In Round 2, they stayed on the defensive line and chose Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, another athletic and explosive prospect as well as a playmaker on the inside. Collins also needs to get a bit stronger, but he’s a dual-purpose tackle capable of occupying blockers as well as making plays on the ball.

The team stayed on the defensive side of the ball in Round 3, first selecting linebacker Nick Martin then defensive back Upton Stout. The Niners were knocked in many circles for drafting Martin with the 75th pick, but I disagree. He’s explosive, athletic and violent on the football field, showing ability in pursuit as well as the ability to blitz. His game is coincidentally quite similar to Dre Greenlaw’s, who the Niners lost in free agency.

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There were a lot of people in the scouting community who liked Stout and feel he’ll be a dime back/special-teams player. The third round was a bit rich for my blood to draft the 5-foot-8.5-inch defensive back.

San Francisco started Day 3 on the defensive side of the ball, taking CJ West from Indiana, a terrific prospect. West displayed himself as an immovable object in the middle of the Hoosiers’ line last season, standing up blockers and allowing teammates to make plays on the ball. Then during Shrine Bowl practices, he showed he was more than a gap occupier, making plays on the football and displaying pass-rush skill.

The team finally moved to the offensive side of the ball with their next two selections, drafting Mississippi receiver Jordan Watkins in the fourth round then running back Jordan James in Round 5. Both were steals in my opinion.

Watkins is a developing wideout with terrific vertical speed and reliable hands. He needs only to improve his route running, though I would expect him to contribute as a rookie. In my opinion, the Niners selecting Watkins in Round 4 was better value than the Chargers drafting his teammate Tre Harris in the second round.

James was pushed down due to poor computer numbers and the running back class being selected later than most thought on a whole, yet in the end he’ll be one of the better players to come from the middle part of Day 3. James plays faster than his 40 time, has a violent running style and creates yardage or breaks tackles to pick up extra yardage. He’s also a terrific pass catcher out of the backfield and should be the team’s third back next season.

San Francisco had another selection in Round 5 and chose safety Marques Sigle of Kansas State. Sigle is a terrific downhill defensive back with great instincts and physicality. He ran faster than anyone thought at the combine and could surprise people this season.

San Francisco had three selections in the final round and took Kurtis Rourke, the Indiana quarterback coming off a tremendous campaign, with the first of them. Rourke did a great job leading the Hoosiers last season, carrying the team into the College Football Playoff despite playing on a bad knee. He’s a heady quarterback who stays away from bad throws and poor decisions. Had Rourke been able to take part in the predraft process, it’s fair to argue he would’ve received consideration in the fourth round.

Connor Colby is a nice-sized guard who tested reasonably well at the combine, but he must learn to play to those numbers. He possesses a lot of upside as well as growth potential.

Junior Bergen was a personal favorite of mine, and though I did not have a draftable grade on him, I was glad to see the Niners take him late in Round 7. He’s small but incredibly quick and is a terrific route runner who separates through his breaks and catches the ball well. Bergen also brings return potential with him.

The team came away with two steals after the draft, signing receiver Isaiah Neyor and running back Corey Kiner as UDFAs. Neyor is a tall, athletic pass catcher and former track-and-field star who showed a lot of progress in his game last season, yet he’s still developing. Kiner is a tough, instinctive, hard-charging ball carrier with potential as a rotational back. Keep an eye on another UDFA, cornerback Derrick Canteen. He was a favorite of mine when he played at Georgia Southern during a time when the program placed several defensive backs into the league. His game leveled off after transferring to Cincinnati, but the skills he previously displayed coupled with the Niners’ ability to develop defensive backs gives Canteen a chance.

Grade - A: I would’ve preferred the Niners to address the offensive line earlier, yet they deserve high marks for this draft. They revamped the entire defensive line, and the three players drafted should be full-time starters within two years. Ditto for Nick Martin at linebacker, while Watkins and James will be quality contributors.

Edited by Tony Pauline