The choice of 49ers raises eyebrows



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SANTA CLARA – In the 2019 project, the 49ers insisted on their greatest need: the defensive back.

In 2018, the 49ers allowed 35 touchdown passes and intercepted only two assists – the worst interception hit ratio allowed by a defense in the NFL history. Rather than taking a defensive defense on the first or second day, or with their first choice on the third day, the 49ers traded in the fourth round and picked a bettor: Mitch Wishnowsky of Utah. They did not take up defense until their last choice.

The 49ers originally had the second choice of the fourth round. They traded to the Cincinnati Bengals against the eighth pick in the fourth round, which the 49ers used for Wishnowsky. They also took the 10th pick in Round 6 and 26th in Round 6 of the Bengals.

Wishnowsky is a 27-year-old Australian player who has amassed an average of 45.7 yards per shot in three years at the university.

"With all due respect to the other punters, we felt that Wishnowsky was a promising prospect," said general manager John Lynch on Saturday at the 49ers' auditorium. "Hopefully (Wishnowsky) is the long-term answer – we're talking about a 10-year-old guy."

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he did not like the scouts much and he would not have to do it for at least a decade. "It was painful, but I learned a lot to do it. It was the first time I spent a lot of time (looking for bettors). The analysis can bring you a lot because you need numbers for the time off. You can read a lot on paper, which is nice.

Wishnowsky played in home games in Salt Lake City at an altitude of 12,000 meters. Which means that his bedbugs may have been further away in Salt Lake City than they will be in Santa Clara. His figures may have been inflated.

"Everyone knows he's the best bettor in the repechage," said Shanahan. "You always want to take (a bettor) as late as possible. But, I promise you that we would not have had it if we had waited until the fifth round. "

The 49ers had no fifth-round pick for Day 3. That changed on Saturday morning, when they traded veteran defensive lineman Dekoda Watson and the 40th pick of round 6 against the Broncos. Denver for the 10th pick of round 5. Then, The 49ers took Arkansas's linebacker, Dr. Greenlaw, instead of a defensive back.

"We thought it was a solid choice to add depth to the linebacker," Lynch said.

After Greenlaw, the 49ers took tight half Stanad Kaden Smith in place of the defensive back with the third pick of the sixth day. Smith ran with a 40-yard rush in the NFL's research combined, a slow time for a tight end.

"I will not send it on a bunch of fast roads," Shanahan said. "Speed ​​is not a problem. He is efficient in the passing game and he can also be a good blocker for us. "

Lynch added, "There's a reason these guys leave later."

After Smith, the 49ers took offensive tackle Vanderbilt Justin Skule instead of a defensive back with the 10th pick in the sixth round.

"He started 40 games at the SEC," Shanahan said. "It may not be the prototype tackle that was chosen early in the project, but the game is not too big for him. He has the ability to do it. When you start 40 games in the SEC and you play at the level that he has achieved compared to this competition, you know that the guy is doing good material. He can enter and compete with (backup) Shon Coleman, trying to push him to be that swing tackler (off the bench). He really has a chance to do that.

But why did the 49ers choose to take an offensive tackle, a back-up backup, a backup linebacker and a kicker instead of a cornerback or much needed security?

"You try to improve your team whenever you can," Shanahan said. "You look at our high school, it's not the easiest thing in the world to recruit a guy who can come and beat Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, Ahkello Witherspoon, Tarvarius Moore, Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt, Marcel Harris, Adrian Colbert and Antone Exum.

Together, these nine players only divided 20 passes last season.

After taking Skule, the 49ers had only one choice to make: the 26th pick of the 6th day. They finally took a defensive defense – cornerback Virginia, Tim Harris.

Harris will be 24 in July. He spent six years in college because he suffered two serious injuries. In 2016, he tore his labrum and was a red medical shirt. In 2017, he suffered a wrist injury and became a red medical shirt again.

In six years of college, Harris intercepted four passes and divided 17. The NFL did not invite him to the combine. But during his professional day, he ran the 40-yard dashboard in 4.43 seconds – a very fast time.

"Very talented football player," said Lynch. "You just can not have enough good corners."

Oh really?

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