The San Francisco 49ers have gone 27-9-1 (including the post-season) in two seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh thanks predominantly to one of the NFL's best defenses. That unit has undergone a bit of transition this off-season, however - particularly along the defensive line, where two free agents have left for other opportunities and Glenn Dorsey was signed as a potential replacement. More reinforcements may be needed up front, too.
Team | Player | Position | Height | Weight | Class |
31. San Francisco 49ers | Jesse Williams, Alabama | DT | 6'3" | 323 | SR |
David Fucillo: "The San Francisco 49ers have one of the top defenses in the league, but the close of the season and the playoffs showed a team lacking in depth. Although the departure of Isaac Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois means Williams would get a crack at the starting nose tackle job, he would likely work along the entire line, rotating with Ian Williams and Glenn Dorsey at nose tackle, but also getting some time at defensive end in the base 3-4 and defensive tackle when the 49ers go to the nickel. The 49ers would not draft a basic nose tackle with this pick because they only use the base nose tackle 35% of the time. Williams brings the kind of versatility that would allow him to contribute right away as a rookie." |
Here's our own Dan Kadar to break down the pick:
People often forget just how good of an athlete Williams is. In 2011, he played end for Alabama before Nick Saban pushed him to the nose. He’s so athletic the Tide used him as a fullback at times. He’s not purely a one-position player, though the nose is his best spot. Williams would instantly be a favorite of Navorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. He is a powerhouse defensive lineman capable of taking on multiple blockers, freeing up the linebackers behind him. He’s not a stats guy, but the kind of dependable player good defenses rely on.
The first round of the 2013 SB Nation NFL writers' mock draft concludes at Noon ET when the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Beatdown make the final pick of the round.
Top 5 players remaining
# | Player | Pos. | College | Ht. | Wt. |
22 | Damontre Moore | OLB | Texas A&M | 6'5" | 250 |
27 | Barrett Jones | C | Alabama | 6'4" | 305 |
29 | Manti Te'o | LB | Notre Dame | 6'1" | 241 |
32 | Khaseem Greene | LB | Rutgers | 6'1" | 241 |
33 | Jamie Collins | LB | Southern Miss | 6'3" | 250 |
2013 SB Nation NFL writers' mock draft results
No. | Team | Player | Pos. | College |
1 | Kansas City Chiefs | Luke Joeckel | OT | Texas A&M |
2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia |
3 | Oakland Raiders | Sharrif Floyd | DT | Florida |
4 | Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Fisher | OT | Central Michigan |
5 | Detroit Lions | Ezekiel Ansah | DE | BYU |
6 | Cleveland Browns | Dion Jordan | OLB | Oregon |
7 | Arizona Cardinals | Barkevious Mingo | OLB | LSU |
8 | Buffalo Bills | Jarvis Jones | OLB | Georgia |
9 | New York Jets | Chance Warmack | OG | Alabama |
10 | Tennessee Titans | Dee Milliner | CB | Alabama |
11 | San Diego Chargers | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
12 | Miami Dolphins | Desmond Trufant | CB | Washington |
13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Florida State |
14 | Carolina Panthers | Lane Johnson | OT | Oklahoma |
15 | New Orleans Saints | Alec Ogletree | LB | Georgia |
16 | St. Louis Rams | Tavon Austin | WR | West Virginia |
17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cordarrelle Patterson | WR | Tennessee |
18 | Dallas Cowboys | Jonathan Cooper | OG | North Carolina |
19 | New York Giants | Sheldon Richardson | DT | Missouri |
20 | Chicago Bears | Arthur Brown | LB | Kansas State |
21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Kenny Vaccaro | S | Texas |
22 | St. Louis Rams | Jonathan Cyprien | S | Florida International |
23 | Minnesota Vikings | Bjoern Werner | DE | Florida State |
24 | Indianapolis Colts | Datone Jones | DE | UCLA |
25 | Minnesota Vikings | Johnathan Hankins | DT | Ohio State |
26 | Green Bay Packers | Tyler Eifert | TE | Notre Dame |
27 | Houston Texans | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | Clemson |
28 | Denver Broncos | D.J. Fluker | OT | Alabama |
29 | New England Patriots | Keenan Allen | WR | California |
30 | Atlanta Falcons | Cornellius Carradine | DE | Florida State |
31 | San Francisco 49ers | Jesse Williams | DT | Alabama |