The San Francisco 49ers added a high number of players in the NFL draft this year and names like Mike Davis, Blake Bell, Arik Armstead, Rory Anderson and DeAndre Smelter could be major contributors and give depth to the players that will start for Colin Kaepernick on offense, including Carlos Hyde, Vernon Davis and Torrey Smith.
The 49ers come into the season after bringing in a new head coach and that means high expectations for Jim Tomsula after taking over for Jim Harbaugh. The Niners have often been strong in the draft over the recent stretch with Trent Baalke and it appears they have done that again. The team shrewdly made a move back two spots in the first round and got extra picks and Baalke was able to take the player he wanted all along in Arik Armstead.
Moving forward the team now has Mike Davis in the fold and he could help replace Frank Gore with Carlos Hyde for Colin Kaepernick. The writing was on the wall last year for gore, as Hyde got a solid amount of playing time and he showed enough to prove that he can start. Davis had 1183 yards two years ago and added 982 yards last season on 199 carries, averaging nearly 5.0 yards per attempt. Hyde had 333 yards last season and he is expected to come in as the top back on the depth chart.
According to Pro Football Talk, Armstead to the Niners was "as known as any pick in the draft" and that the team was smart to use leverage to get the Chargers to trade up. The team got two picks from that deal and that helped them add a number of players in the draft that could help significantly this season. Last year Davis had a bad year and while he is back, his future is uncertain and now the team has two solid prospects in Blake Bell and Rory Anderson.
Bell could end up being a player that pushes to start eventually, as he was taken in the fourth round and had a strange career at Oklahoma. Bell has great size for his position at 6-foot-6, 252 pounds, but he started off as a quarterback for the team and did not play tight end until he was senior. The stats are not there as a TE from college, as he had just 16 catches for 214 yards and four touchdowns, but he has the size and athletic ability to make the jump in the eyes of the 49ers.
According to 49ers.com, some scouts have compared Bell to Jason Witten and he comes in after putting up 40 total touchdowns in his career split over passing, receiving and rushing. That is the type of player that could thrive for the 49ers, as they need some versatility after the way the offense played last season.
Smelter could add some depth with Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin, Bruce Ellington and Jerome Simpson and that could help Kaepernick bounce back after he had a so-so season. The Niners offense needs more production and the new rookies should be able to help the team do that this season.
