The San Francisco 49ers ended the regular season strong winning five games in a row with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting quarterback. Thanks to the NFL's rules on rolling over unused cap space, the 49ers have the most cap space in the NFL with $114.1 million, so expect them to build in free agency.
However, to make a leap as one of the best teams in the NFC, they will also need to draft the right pieces in the 2018 NFL Draft. Here are four players they'll want to avoid in the first round:
1) Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The 49ers desperately need to surround Jimmy Garoppolo with quality weapons and may look to add one in the first round. Alabama's Calvin Ridley is the only wide receiver worthy of being drafted in the top 10, but if he's off the board, they make look to reach for a talented big receiver in Sutton. They shouldn't. Not that Sutton isn't a quality receiver, but I doubt he'll turn into the legitimate No. 1 option you'd expect a top 10 receiver to be.
2) Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas
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A big concern for the 49ers entering the season is their talent and depth at the linebacker position. Simply put, they need to find players who can help Reuben Foster. Jefferson has the tools to be a solid linebacker against both the run and in coverage, but at the 9th overall pick, he's a bit of a reach. Jefferson led the Longhorns in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks last year, but the Big 12 is far from the NFL.
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3) Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn
San Francisco will certainly be looking to upgrade their secondary early in the draft but Davis isn't a great fit and would be a definite reach in the first round. While he's very physical and is great around the line of scrimmage, he struggles in deep coverage and, as a result, gets beat with the long ball fairly often. In a division with good quarterbacks, that's not a good recipe for success.
4) Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
Guice is a powerful runner with some wiggle to him, both things the 49ers are looking for. He led the Tigers with 237 carries, 1,251 rushing yards, and 11 TDs last season, but battled injuries for most of the season and is not the most consistent rusher, which is why he's only projected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick. There are plenty of talented running backs in this year's class and while San Francisco would like some new blood at the position, they shouldn't reach for Buice with Saquon Barkley off the board.
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