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East-West Shrine Game: 5 NFL Draft Prospects the 49ers Should Watch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:56 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Peter Panacy/FanSided via Niner Noise

The 92nd East-West Shrine game kicks off on Saturday, January 21. Here are five NFL Draft prospects the San Francisco 49ers should watch over the course of the contest.

Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Avery Gennesy (65) in action during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers certainly need an infusion of talent via the NFL Draft, and the 2017 East-West Shrine game should give ample opportunity to look over a number of prospects capable of drawing attention on a national stage.

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Slated to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 21, the 92nd East-West Shrine game features a number of collegiate prospects and is viewed as another essential vantage point for NFL teams looking to land up-and-coming talent.

Take a look here at the official rosters for both teams.

San Francisco has more than a few needs in the upcoming draft. And while a new regime in Santa Clara has plenty on its proverbial plate, paying close attention to this traditional bout would do plenty of good.

Based off the many Niners offseason needs, let’s take a look at some specific players the 49ers should eyeball on Saturday.

Fans should pay attention too, especially if there are some risers who might be able to do some good for the red and gold in 2016.

Keep in mind, many of these players are directly attributed to positional shortcomings the Niners have.

Nov 4, 2016; Oxford, OH, USA; Central Michigan Chippewas quarterback Cooper Rush (21) looks to pass against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks in the first half at Fred Yager Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Cooper Rush, Central Michigan

Collegiate Statistics

It’s likely the 49ers target a quarterback early in the 2017 NFL Draft.

But with on-roster QBs Blaine Gabbert, Thad Lewis and Christian Ponder hitting free agency — and Colin Kaepernick possibly opting out — it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Niners target another signal-caller later in the draft.

Enter Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush.

At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Rush has the physical makeup of an NFL quarterback. The four-year starter certainly has some decision-making questions, as his 23-to-16 touchdown-to-interception ratio last year would suggest.

But when he’s on, Rush does display some canny accuracy and the ability to withstand pressure inside the pocket.

Nov 19, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back De’Veon Smith (4) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the second half defended by Indiana Hoosiers defensive back A’Shon Riggins (28) at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Running Back De’Veon Smith, Michigan

Collegiate Statistics

San Francisco should be counting on the services of No. 1 tailback Carlos Hyde for the foreseeable future. But the team would be wise to add some competition in the later rounds of the draft.

This is where Michigan’s De’Veon Smith comes in.

At 5-foot-11 and 228 pounds, Smith’s stocky frame makes him a difficult tackling assignment. He also has tremendous patience and vision, as illustrated in this clip below:

Rushing for an average of 4.7 yards per carry in the Wolverines offense last season, Smith would be the ideal kind of backup to spell Hyde and act as the perfect change-of-pace back capable of being picked up in later rounds.

Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) and Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Avery Gennesy (65) in action during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Tackle Avery Gennesy, Texas A&M

Collegiate Statistics

Left tackle Joe Staley is getting older, and right tackle Trent Brown certainly could use some development in spite of a promising start to his pro career.

But, unless the 49ers are banking on either Fahn Cooper and/or John Theus to turn into potential starting tackles at some point down the road, adding another late-round developmental prospect would be a wise move.

Texas A&M’s Avery Gennesy isn’t going to be a high-round draft target. And it’s even possible he slips all the way into Rounds 6 or 7, depending on which big boards you look at.

Still, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound prospect has plenty of upside in both pass protection and in run support.

Gennesy also has the flexibility to line up at all positions along the offensive line, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, which makes the Texas A&M prospect worthy of a reserve spot on San Francisco’s depth chart if selected.

Sep 3, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive end Hunter Dimick (49) and teammates celebrate a 24-17 victory over the Michigan Wolverines at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

EDGE Hunter Dimick, Utah

Collegiate Statistics

San Francisco is in desperate need of pass-rushers heading into this offseason. And while many are hoping for the 49ers to land a talent like Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett, an edge rusher like Utah’s Hunter Dimick might be a nice fallback option.

Dimick posted 13.5 sacks in 2016, combined with 19.5 tackles for a loss — numbers that would certainly boost an anemic Niners pass rush in 2017.

While the 6-foot-3, 272-pound Dimick might be a bit slow on the field — limiting his ability to converge on elusive quarterbacks and running backs — he does have an uncanny ability to use his smarts to get to the ball-carrier.

A total of 39 solo tackles in 2016 backs this up.

Dimick did suffer an injury during practice leading up to the East-West Shrine game, but it’s probably going to be something to monitor rather than a major concern.

Nov 19, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes linebacker Jimmie Gilbert (98) reacts to his strip sack turnover in the fourth quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Folsom Field. The Buffaloes defeated the Cougars 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker Jimmie Gilbert, Colorado

Collegiate Statistics

Restate everything you just read about the 49ers pass rush last season, and now bring in Colorado linebacker Jimmie Gilbert.

Gilbert transitioned from Colorado’s defensive line to more of an edge role in 2016, and the move paid off handsomely. With just 8.5 sacks the previous three years, Gilbert’s 11 total quarterback takedowns in 2016 proved this move was worthwhile.

A fit in a 3-4 defense, Gilbert’s 6-foot-5, 235-pound frame might need some more bulk to withstand the rigors of life at the NFL level. Strength isn’t necessarily going to be his thing, but there’s no denying Gilbert has excellent converging speed.

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Considering the Niners’ troubles in taking down ball-carriers, someone like Gilbert could be a nice supplementary piece to a San Francisco defense that gave up more rushing yards than any other team in the league last season.

Gilbert probably projects at the very end of the NFL Draft — perhaps as high as Round 6 or maybe even an undrafted free agent.

Yet his skill set is enough to intrigue pro-level scouts, so the 49ers wouldn’t be making a bad move by keeping an eye on him.

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