Pro Football Focus has jumped in to draft coverage, and this year, they have put together an interesting project for the 2016 NFL Draft. PFF went through all 32 teams and put together a big board specific to that team's draft needs. They look at three ideal targets for each of the team's first three rounds of picks, and then put together a team specific 150-player big board.
On Wednesday, they took a look at the San Francisco 49ers.
In their first round suggestions, they included North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, Oregon defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman. Wentz seems ticketed for the Philadelphia Eagles, while Coleman is a bit of a surprise. They rank him No. 9 on their general big board, and No. 6 on their 49ers-specific big board. That is higher than a lot of people have the Baylor receiver. Here is what they say about his fit with the 49ers (Blackout52 wrote up a scouting report for NN):
They have a downfield threat in Torrey Smith, but the 49ers lack a true every-down difference maker at the wide receiver position. Coleman could be the guy, with his work on shorter routes showing up throughout the season. He forced 13 missed tackles from 74 receptions in 2015, and can make things happen after the catch.
Here is how PFF ranked their top 10 for the 49ers-specific big board. I'm not entirely sure what their thought process is with some of these rankings, given that their first round options involved players further down the big board:
1. Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
3. Jared Goff, QB, Cal
4. Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
5. DeForest Buckner, DT, Oregon
6. Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
7. Myles Jack, ILB, UCLA
8. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
9. Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
10. Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
Their second round pick suggestions included Colorado State wide receiver Rashard Higgins, Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright, and Alabama defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. In the third round, they suggest Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, North Carolina State offensive tackle Joe Thuney, and Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams. I highly doubt the 49ers spend a third round pick on Adams. Prior to Thursday he did not have any pre-draft workouts or visits. That does not mean he won't get drafted, but maybe fans are a little more excited about him than teams. We'll find out by the end of next week.
What do you make of the PFF 49ers-specific big board?