I updated the 2017 Niners Nation mock draft database, and we are coming closer and closer to a consensus on the No. 2 pick. 22 out of the 37 NFL mock drafts that we are tracking have the San Francisco 49ers selecting Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas.
Last week, Thomas emerged with 50 percent of the mock drafts, meaning just shy of a simple majority. Prior to that, it had been a slow climb for Thomas. North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was the leader for all of January and February, with a plurality of mock drafts. Dating to the 49ers signing of Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley, we have seen a change in the mock drafts.
How much of the changes are just people following what others have done? We still see some folks looking in other directions, including Malik Hooker, Mitchell Trubisky, Marshon Lattimore, Leonard Fournette, and others. Trubisky and Lattimore appear three times apiece, while the rest show up once or twice.
Amidst all the changes to mock drafts over the past three months, I just find myself wondering why that is. Brian Hoyer is certainly not a long-term option, but once a couple removed Trubisky from their mock drafts, it seemed like the dominos started falling. How many decided Brian Hoyer was likely a sufficient short-term decision, and how many just followed the pack?