The 2017 NFL draft is two days away, and numerous questions remain as to who the 49ers will select with the No. 2 overall pick. In our updated mock draft database, 23 of the 37 mocks continue to have Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas as the top pick. North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is second with four mentions and Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore is third with three mentions.
Normall the top couple of picks are fairly well known as draft day approaches. This year, Myles Garrett is all but certain to go No. 1, but nobody really knows for sure who will go No. 2. The overwhelming majority of 49ers mock drafts have Thomas going second, but it is not really based on anything more than speculation.
The past two years, we’ve seen quarterbacks go No. 1 and No. 2, with Jared Goff and Carson Wentz going last year, and Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota the year before. Mitchell Trubisky is the most likely candidate to be the first QB off the board, but his landing spot could seemingly be anywhere from 2 to 12.
In reality, there are a handful of names that the 49ers could select and I don’t think I would be totally surprised. The top tier of most likely picks would seem to include the following five players:
Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
After that, someone like LSU running back Leonard Fournette would seem to fit in there. I would have included Reuben Foster, but I’m not sure what to make of the red flags. Some folks like O.J. Howard, some like other quarterbacks. But would those six above be the most likely list of candidates? Or am I missing anybody of note that would be a, “yea, I could see that” option at No. 2?