The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of options when they get on the clock with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and there are at least two dream scenarios in my mind. The first is the Cleveland Browns select North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 1 overall pick, leaving Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett at No. 2 for the 49ers. The second is the 49ers are able to trade down with Cleveland for a haul of picks. The Browns get Trubisky at No. 2, and the 49ers get serious draft capital for their rebuilding project.
Over the weekend, ESPN put together a look at dream scenarios for each team’s first round pick(s). For the 49ers, they went with the latter dream above, having the 49ers deal down from pick No. 2. However, he then goes with an unexpected pick once the 49ers move down.
There's a club of receivers who've thrashed the league playing for Kyle Shanahan. It meets twice a year in ... I don't know, let's say Aruba. Andre Johnson and Julio Jones picked the spot. Everybody's surprised to see Santana Moss each year. Pierre Garçon is the practical joker of the bunch. It'd make a heck of a reality show. Garçon went with Kyle to San Francisco, but Shanahan and his six-year contract have longer-term plans in mind, and Ross is the receiver of his dreams. No. 2 is too high to take him, so here's where the Niners hope Cleveland or the Jets want Trubisky bad enough to come up.
They don’t get into what a move down would entail, focusing instead on the pick for the 49ers in that eventual position. And while it’s an intriguing pick, it raises some questions. There are medical concerns about John Ross that Mike Mayock said on Friday has resulted in teams pushing him down their draft board, with some removing him entirely.
Ross had surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder after Washington’s Pro Day, and missed the 2015 season with a knee injury. According to his agent, Ross had meniscus surgery on his right knee in January of 2015, and ACL surgery on his left knee in April of 2015. Trent Baalke might salivate about that possibility, but would the 49ers be willing to invest a first round pick in him?
If he slipped to the second round because of the injuries, it gets a little more interesting. At the same time, all it takes is one team liking Ross, and with his record-breaking Combine 40 time, it would be a surprise if someone didn’t grab him in the first round.
What would be your dream scenario for the 49ers, aside from Myles Garrett slipping to No. 2? Let’s break it in two: 1) Who would be your dream pick at No. 2 aside from Garrett, and 2) what would your dream trade down entail?
Here are my responses to those two questions:
1) I still lean on free safety Malik Hooker as my ideal pick, but if it was Jamal Adams, I would be plenty happy. I like Marshon Lattimore, but the hamstring issues are a concern.
2) My ideal trade would be with the Jets. The thought is they are really interested in Mitchell Trubisky, and want to jump over the Bears and prevent the Browns from moving up as well. The 49ers move down to pick No. 6 and still land Hooker or Adams.