We still have not heard what Justin Smith has planned for his future, and that is somewhat reflected in 2015 NFL mock drafts. Todd McShay released his latest mock draft on Thursday, and he has the San Francisco 49ers going with a defensive lineman. McShay mocked them Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead. His analysis was as follows:
The 49ers need a receiver who can stretch the field vertically, and there are several from which they could choose at this spot, but they also could be looking at upgrades at corner, offensive line and on the defensive front. Armstead is a great value pick at this spot (he's our No. 9 overall player), with an outstanding combination of size, agility and power. He shows violent hands to get off of blocks in the running game and as a pass-rusher. The arrow is pointing the right way with him, and he could be the heir apparent to Justin Smith, who is considering retirement.
McShay mocked out 11 defensive linemen in the first round. Ahead of the 49ers, he had Leonard Williams (No. 2 to Tennessee), Dante Fowler (No. 3 to Jacksonville), Randy Gregory (No. 5 to Washington), Danny Shelton (No. 7 to Chicago), Shane Ray (No. 8 to Atlanta) and Vic Beasley (No. 13 to New Orleans). It is important to note that several of those players will move to outside linebacker in the NFL.
For those thinking the 49ers should go wide receiver in the first round, McShay mocked four receivers through the round. They included Kevin White (No. 4 to Oakland), Amari Cooper (No. 10 to St. Louis), DeVante Parker (No. 12 to Cleveland) and Dorial Green-Beckham (No. 18 to Kansas City). If you have questions about other parts of his mock draft, just let me know in the comments.
This team is impossible to predict from one pick to another, but right now, defensive line does make a lot of sense. Even if Justin Smith returns for another season, 2015 would likely be his last season. The 49ers have plenty of question marks, but if they think they can find a defensive lineman that could slot in for the next five to seven years, it makes sense to grab him. Wide receiver would be the sexy pick, but this team is not exactly one to go that route too frequently.