San Francisco 49ers

2017 NFL Draft: Current Woes May Force the 49ers to Go Defense First... Again

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The San Francisco 49ers defense was supposed to be notably better in 2016 compared to a year ago. And yet this unit is now one of the worst in the league, which prompts a likelihood of yet another Niners defense-first NFL Draft next year.

San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke has spent his last four first-overall draft picks on defensive players.

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The Niners selected safety Eric Reid in 2013. A year later, Baalke tabbed defensive back Jimmie Ward. And the last two years have seen San Francisco use its first picks on defensive ends Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

So the 49ers should have a decent, if not dominant, defense now, right?

Nope. San Francisco ranks 31st in points allowed (185), 27th in yards against (2,339) and the run defense — dead last, not surprisingly — has given up 1,046 yards, which is over 160 more than the second-worst team in this category.

And just think, 2016 was supposed to be the year in which Baalke solved the Niners’ defensive woes. They’re not solved. Not even close.

All of San Francisco’s defensive shortcoming mean the defense will likely have to be the focus on the 2017 NFL Draft. While Baalke may not be around much longer, it’s more than reasonable to assume the next GM can’t stray too far from a defensive draft either.

So that means the priorities would be Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett over collegiate quarterbacking prospects like Deshaun Watson or DeShone Kizer and so on.

The way things stand now, the 2017 49ers may just have to pass on all those skill-position players once more. It’s a troubling trend.

August 1, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke during training camp at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Breakdowns

No, we’re not breaking down the drafts. This is about the 49ers drafts breaking down.

The 2015 Niners draft class is a perfect microcosm of all that is going wrong right now. Baalke drafted Buckner with the No. 7 overall pick — a great choice, right?

Maybe. But early results have been so-so at best, and Buckner has done little to help out with San Francisco’s biggest weakness: the run defense.

Baalke also tabbed three cornerbacks — Will Redmond, Rashard Robinson and Prince Charles Iworah — in spite of already having a plethora of defensive-back carryovers from previous seasons.

Out of that crop, only Robinson is turning any heads. Redmond is on injured reserve, and Iworah is on the practice squad.

So the whole “shotgun approach” to taking defensive backs sort of worked here. But at the expense of wasted picks so far.

Back to the run defense. Shortly after the 2016 NFL Draft, we broke down some reasons why Baalke didn’t draft an inside linebacker. San Francisco had some options, but Baalke came out and said it wasn’t a pressing need at the time.

Maybe he felt safety Jaquiski Tartt could fill a hybrid role, similar to what the Arizona Cardinals have done with Deone Bucannon. The problem is, well, we haven’t seen it. And how much longer should we wait?

Instead, we’re left with run-stopping (not so much) linebackers like Nick Bellore and Michael Wilhoite.

Other Gaffes and Shortcomings

The 49ers have generated just one Pro Bowler on the defensive side of the ball since 2013 — Reid. And that was during Reid’s rookie season. Defensive tackle Quinton Dial (Round 5) was a nice find that year, and so was linebacker Aaron Lynch (Round 5) the following season.

49ers safety Eric Reid and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stand during the 2013 NFL draft. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Ward has also come along nicely. And Armstead? Well, he looks good in the pass rush. Not so much against the run.

But Baalke’s defensive efforts have also provided 2013 soon-to-be-bust-if-not-already-so Tank Carradine (Round 2). Cornerback Dontae Johnson (Round 4 of 2014) is buried on the depth chart. And linebacker Eli Harold (Round 3 of 2015) isn’t particularly good at rushing the passer or stopping the run.

Don’t even start on former 49ers linebacker Corey Lemonier, whom the Niners moved up to get in Round 3.

Tack on the failure to land quality depth at front-seven positions, and it’s easy to see why Baalke is on the hot seat.

More from Niner Noise

Maybe the 49ers turn the general manager reins over to assistant GM Tom Gamble between now and the 2017 NFL Draft. But he’ll be faced with the very same problem.

The Niners don’t have a defense. Much of the starting cast would be reserves, at best, on a majority of other teams. And the few players who are contributing, or at least could be potentially, don’t have enough support to make their efforts worthwhile.

So fans might have to wait yet another year to see San Francisco try and upgrade the offense via the draft. It’s the same situation the Niners faced entering 2016 and, by the looks of it, it won’t change next year either.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com, Sports-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

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