The San Francisco 49ers might be looking linebacker at No. 9, with Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds offering a lot of possibilities. The 49ers could go in another direction, but with Reuben Foster’s legal issues, going linebacker at No. 9 would probably surprise nobody.
Smith and Edmunds are highly valued, and picks 7-10 will be fascinating to watch next Thursday. The Chicago Bears at No. 8, the 49ers at No. 9, and the Oakland Raiders at No. 10 all could be looking linebacker. ESPN’s Todd McShay believes the Raiders are particularly hot for Smith, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Roquan Smith is the guy,” McShay said on a conference call Wednesday morning. “I don’t know that they would be willing to give away additional picks later to go up and get him. But he’s the guy they want.”
The 49ers are a potential trade-down candidate, but if they move down, it is likely that Smith would not be on their radar. But if they don’t trade down, they will be keeping an eye on the Raiders maneuverings at No. 10. And really, this applies to most anybody the Raiders might want.
The Raiders will not be drafting a quarterback in the first round, and with plenty of other needs, they could be competing with the 49ers for a lot of similar players. Nothing would really surprise, trade or otherwise, and I have to imagine John Lynch and Co. will be keeping an eye on the Raiders and an ear to the ground throughout the first third of next Thursday’s action.