The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a four-year stretch in which they played in three NFC Championship Games and made one Super Bowl appearance. So forget that Jim Tomsula is replacing Jim Harbaugh as head coach. Forget that Colin Kaepernick appears to have regressed. Forget the 8-8 season last year. Niners fans are expecting a quick bounce-back which means that San Fran has to find immediate impact players in this year's NFL draft. That mindset could lead the team to Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes in the first round.
"The Niners added Torrey Smith in free agency as a wide receiver who can stretch the field vertically, but they could still look to upgrade at wide receiver or along the offensive and defensive lines," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay wrote in his Mock Draft 4.0. "But perhaps their most pressing need is at cornerback, having lost Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox in free agency. Waynes is a solid value here as the top-ranked corner on our board. He displays very good technique and straight-line speed (4.35 40-yard dash) for the position, and is at his best in press-man or Cover-2 alignments."
Waynes would be a great fit for this defense, but the 49ers may have some competition for his services. The Minnesota Vikings have been listed as a possible destination for him in the draft, and they pick four spots ahead of the Niners. If Waynes is off the board San Francisco could grab Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson, though he may be a bit of a reach at No. 15 overall.
The 49ers ranked fifth in the NFL in pass defense last season, only surrendering 220.7 yards through the air per game. That ranking is sure to drop significantly if the team doesn't adequately replace Cox and Culliver. Waynes, if he's available, would be a solid first step in that department as he is ready to contribute right away.
