The San Francisco 49ers improved from 4-12 in 2018 to finish 2019 atop the NFC West with a 13-3 record. They led against the Kansas City Chiefs for most of the Super Bowl before suffering a 31-20 loss.
Jimmy Garoppolo put together his first complete season and reached career highs across the board, but took a back seat to his running backs in the postseason. San Francisco will still have Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida, and Jerick McKinnon in 2020, but it needs depth at wide receiver, as well as cornerback. The big move they made this offseason was trading star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts for a first round pick.
2020 Draft Picks
Round 1, pick 14 (No. 14 overall): Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina
Round 1, pick 25 (No. 25): Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State
Round 5, pick 7 (No. 153 overall): Colton McIvitz, OT, West Virginia
Round 6, pick 11 (No. 190): Charlie Woerner, TE, Georgia
Round 7, pick 3 (No. 217): Jauan Jennings, WR, Tennessee
Team needs
Offense
The 49ers’ offense is run-powered and they could potentially have four running backs be factors in 2020. Deebo Samuel emerged as their top receiver over Emmanuel Sanders and is used as a utility player, but now Sanders has joined the New Orleans Saints. George Kittle is still a dangerous target, but talent out wide will be necessary for San Francisco as it looks to stay on top in the NFC West.
Defense
Losing Buckner and Sheldon Day leaves a strong defensive line significantly weaker. In the secondary, Richard Sherman is entering the final year of his contract and is playing opposite of Emmanuel Moseley, who was a first-year starter last season. While Jimmie Ward is still manning the safety spot, the transition of power from a leadership perspective at cornerback is something to monitor. Moseley was great last year though, so maybe there’s no need to worry.
Dream first pick
There’s a significant drop off between the best cornerback prospect and the rest of the class. The 13th might be the a little high for the second cornerback off the board, so San Francisco should address its wide receiver needs by getting a player with star potential. Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb could be available, and that would be a steal for a team returning a ton of talent after a Super Bowl run. A trade of one of their two first round picks also makes sense as a way to boost their draft capital.