The San Francisco 49ers are coming into the NFL draft with a number of needs and the team could consider a trade up to get Kevin White or Amari Cooper and this comes as names like Ameer Abdullah, Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Arik Armstead, DeVante Parker and Danny Shelton could be targets for new coach Jim Tomsula and Colin Kaepernick.
The 49ers had a disappointing season in 2014 and missed the playoffs for the first time under Jim Harbaugh and now they have Tomsula as head coach. The team signed Torrey Smith this offseason, but after the way the passing offense was last season, there is a good chance the Niners look at adding more in the draft. The class is deep at WR this year, but Adam Schefter at ESPN reports that the 49ers could look at trading up for one of the top receivers.
Amari Cooper and Kevin White are considered the top wideouts in the draft and the 49ers could look at moving up depending on how the first few picks go. If Cooper or White remain on the board past number four or five in the draft, expect the Niners to make some calls. Kaepernick had a down season and he is looking to bounce back and adding some prime weapons on the outside could be a big help in doing that. White has good speed and is bigger than Cooper and there is a chance he stays on the board for a bit if he gets past the Redskins.
According to 49ers.com, Mike Mayock says that Arik Armstead is a player to watch, as he is a "perfect" fit for the team and what they do on defense. Armstead was very good at Oregon and the Niners have a need on the defensive line. Last season Armstead had over 40 tackles and added 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries and that production makes him a solid first round prospect. The team has had to deal with injuries and age on the defensive line over the past couple years and adding Armstead would help with the pass rush.
The 49ers may look at trading up for White, but if they sit tight, both Breshad Perriman and Phillip Dorsett could be options later on. Those two put up great 40-yard dash times in workouts and that element could be big in the offense for the 49ers, as they are lacking deep threats. Torrey smith is a deep threat and has a knack for getting in the endzone, but he is not a burner and these two are. The team has Smith and Anquan Boldin, but both players are veterans and adding a rookie would help the WR group get younger.
Danny Shelton, Todd Gurley, Nelson Agholor, Marcus Peters and DeVante Parker are other names that could be in the mix for the 49ers and the teams around them in the first round. There is a deep class of players in the 2015 draft and the Niners may look at trading back if the top players on the board are picked before they come up at number 15 in the first round. The team also could look at running backs after Frank Gore left in free agency.
