:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46219122/GettyImages-459611648.0.jpg)
The 2015 NFL Draft is only a few short days away, which means mock draft season is rapidly coming to a close. I really don't know what to do with myself knowing that we will no longer have 2015 NFL mock drafts after this week. I'm just beside myself with grief!
Later this week I'll put together one more look at our mock draft database, but in the meantime, Dan Kadar is back with his penultimate 2015 NFL mock draft for SB Nation. Dan will have one more late Wednesday or early Thursday, but I don't expect it to change much from this.
Dan has bounced around in recent mocks, but he comes back to a guy so many people are suggesting to the San Francisco 49ers, Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Here is what he had to say about Armstead to the 49ers:
This is an interesting debate to have, but probably one that will get eye rolls from 49ers fans: Is San Francisco reloading or rebuilding? Do they know? Should they know? If the pick is a player like Armstead — a raw, high upside choice — the answer may be rebuilding.
This does raise an interesting question about whether the 49ers are re-building or re-loading. General manager Trent Baalke views it as re-loading, but plenty see the team as in a re-building mode. Some don't like Armstead in any form or fashion, while others view him as a sign of re-building. If the 49ers were to make this pick, would you view that as a hint at re-building, a full blown sign of it, or not an indicator one way or another?
A week and a half ago, media asked Baalke about specific draft needs. Naturally, Baalke said the team felt very good about their depth, and did not feel particularly pressured in one way or another. There are question marks on the depth chart, but I do think there is enough talent to compete for a playoff spot this year. It is certainly possible that talent does not pan out, and a selection of Armstead could be potential insurance for such an issue. And even if Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial both pan out, a rotation that includes a developing Armstead could mean good things if he taps into his raw potential. Of course, that ability to tap into potential is the big question with him.