The San Francisco 49ers have been busy this offseason re-tooling a roster worthy of competing in the formidable NFC West Division. They are hoping to keep that momentum going through the 2018 NFL Draft in a couple of days.
San Francisco currently owns the ninth overall pick and may be looking to use it to help shore up their group of linebackers. According to NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline, the 49ers are hoping to take Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds:
In that recent mock, I have the San Francisco 49ers trading down with the Buffalo Bills and selecting Leighton Vander Esch. This won’t be the case if Tremaine Edmunds is available when the Niners are called to the clock, as he is the player the team covets.
Of course, this is all simply speculation at this point in the draft process. However, taking Edwards would certainly make sense for San Francisco.
He is coming off a stellar year at Virginia Tech after registering 108 tackles and 5.5 sacks. His numbers were good enough to be named as a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is given annually to the best linebacker in college football.
Needless to say, Edmunds brings plenty to the table in terms of being an impact player. San Francisco is incredibly thin at linebacker at the moment. It may get even smaller with the looming uncertainty of Reuben Foster's future with the team. Taking a player like Edmunds would help fortify the 49ers defense, which has already made a few notable additions this offseason.