Draft Recap
The rich just keep getting richer. Already with arguably the best roster in the NFL and having the most picks going into the draft, the niners were able to move around the board freely and address areas of need with the best options available. You probably won’t see any of the names in this draft class putting up big fantasy numbers but that is primarily because this roster is already so deep.
Fantasy Impact
The few areas of weakness on the defense were addressed very well by in this draft. LSU Safety Eric Reid is a fantastic player, and fits into the style of defense the 49ers play perfectly. Tank Carradine and Corey Lemonier add some quality depth and youth to the slightly aged Defensive Line.
Rice TE Vance McDonald will be able to step into the role vacated when Delanie Walker left for Tennessee. Obviously, he will not be taking targets away from Vernon Davis, but adds solid depth.
Keep an eye on Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton this summer. You may remember when he jumped on to the national stage last season, after an electric game against Texas A&M where he had 21 catches for 233 yards and 4 TDs. Patton is possibly the most polished route running in the draft class, but the knock on him is a lack of physicality and that may not fly when your coach is a Harbaugh. The competition is deep at WR for the 49ers so it is possible Patton could find himself buried on the depth chart, but he has the skills to rise to the top and become a weapon, something the team will need following the Achilles injury to Michael Crabtree.
Possibly the most interesting pick for the 49ers in this draft was South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore. This was purely a luxury pick as there is plenty of depth on the roster already, but that works because everyone knows about the horrific knee injury that Lattimore suffered last season. Don’t expect anything significant from him this season from a fantasy stand point, but watch out in a year or two as he steps into replace Frank Gore.