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The San Francisco 49ers hold picks 31 and 34 in the 2013 NFL Draft, providing them with solid firepower to move around at will in April. As we consider what the 49ers might do, it is worth noting the 49ers could very well decide to hold on to both picks. I do think they make a trade with at least one of them, but if not, it is worth considering what could impact those picks.
With only two selections between the No. 31 and No. 34 picks, we can consider the various options at No. 32 and 33. The Baltimore Ravens hold the last pick of the first round, and the Jacksonville Jaguars hold the first pick of the second round. Both teams have their share of holes to fill, but they could very well decide to do some wheeling and dealing with the picks. I emailed our Ravens and Jaguars bloggers, as well as Dan Kadar from Mocking the Draft. Here is what they had to say about the possibilities with those picks.
With Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe gone, most think the Ravens will target a middle linebacker. Someone like Manti Te'o, Kevin Minter or, if he's available, Alec Ogletree. But that is an assumption. The known with Baltimore is that Ozzie Newsome is going to take the best player available. Obviously there are some caveats to that. A quarterback won't be the best player available for Baltimore. You can probably guess that a running back won't either.
Obviously that means nothing for the 49ers since they're set at those positions as well. If the Ravens view one of the middle linebackers as the best player on the board, that's great for San Francisco since they're set at the position. But if the Ravens really like a safety or five technique, that could be bad for the 49ers.
With the recent free agent signing of OLB Elvis Dumervil and safety Michael Huff, it would seem that the Baltimore Ravens would not be looking to utilize the last pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft to select a player at either of those positions. However, GM Ozzie Newsome is well known for using the term, "Best Player Available," and if a player in that position whom the team had rated much higher is still on the board when their turn comes up, don't be shocked if he goes in that route, as the draft is rich with 3-4 linebackers and safeties.
However, most people would think the team would be better off trying to fill the void left by the retirement of Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe to the Miami Dolphins via free agency. That would mean the the best of the ILB's who could still be on the board at #32, including Georgia's Alec Ogletree, LSU's Kevin Minter and yes, Notre Dame's Manti T'eo.
Obviously whatever the Jaguars do with their second pick is dependent on their first pick. If they don't draft a quarterback with the second pick, they could be hot after one in the second round. To get to the point quicker, (and because it's what we've done in our mocks) lets say the Jaguars take Geno Smith in the first round.
The Jaguars need a pass rusher, namely one that can play the in vogue Leo position. Players like Cornelius Washington of Georgia or Brandon Jenkins of Florida State could be options there, though the value isn't as good. The better value at the top of the second round is at cornerback. There will be a lot of good corners likely there - Logan Ryan of Rutgers, Jordan Poyer of Oregon State or Johnthan Banks of MIssissippi State. They'd just need to figure out which one fits their scheme the best.
The Jaguars will likely try to trade the 33rd pick since they're rebuilding and want more picks, but depending on where they go at second overall they should be looking at offensive tackle, defensive back, or pass rusher with their second round pick. If the team selects a pass rusher second overall and not a quarterback, add quarterback into the mix at 33.
Some names they could consider: Menelik Watson, Johnthan Banks, DJ Fluker, Corey Lemonier, Jamie Collins, Jordan Poyer, Jesse Williams, DJ Swearanger, Sylvester Williams, John Jenkins.