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2016 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Best Possible Fits for Every 1st-Round Team
- Updated: April 28, 2016
The NFL draft is a chance for every team to find that perfect prospect who will help it, assuming he is still available.
With the exception of the Los Angeles Rams drafting No. 1 overall, no team knows which players will be available when it is on the clock. All each one can do is make its list and hope its top target falls to it. Despite the uncertainty, though, there are quality fits for every team drafting in the first round.
Here is a look at one final mock draft heading into Round 1 on Thursday night with a breakdown of some of the best fits on the board.
San Francisco 49ers: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
The San Francisco 49ers still need a quarterback they can trust going forward, but they won’t be able to pass on DeForest Buckner if he is still on the board at No. 7.
Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (h/t David Fucillo of SB Nation’s Niners Nation) reported the 49ers “desperately covet” Buckner, while Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tweeted he’d “bet [his] house” if he had to that this would be the pick. Rumors aside, it is understandable to see why the defensive end is such a highly prized prospect.
Buckner (6’7″, 291 lbs) is a physically imposing player who could fit perfectly into the 3-4 as a defensive end, excelling in all facets of the game. Stanford head coach David Shaw provided perhaps the best description of the rival player, saying to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune:
He’s one of those guys that, your entire game plan is around where he is. Running game, passing game, everything. Pass protection—it’s all about where he is. Because he’s that disruptive. To be over 6-7, to be over 300 pounds and be that athletic and physical, you have to account for him. I think he’s going to be very, very good at the next level as well.
When the 49ers were Super Bowl contenders, it was the defensive front seven that led the way. However, key losses to retirement and free agency have left this group without many playmakers. Last season, the squad ranked 29th in the NFL with just 28 sacks on the year.
Buckner will rack up sacks himself while also clearing up space for others, improving the entire defense with just one …
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