Perhaps the 49ers will pick a quarterback with their first pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Or maybe they’ll go for a top-notch edge pass rusher, a playmaking wide receiver or a dynamic inside linebacker.
Whatever the team decides to do, it’s becoming more and more certain they’ll get a chance to use one of the top two picks in the draft.
Sunday’s loss to the woeful Chicago Bears – who had just two wins coming into the game – keeps the Niners in the hunt for the overall No. 1 pick while strengthening their position to draft no lower than second.
With four games remaining, the 49ers’ competition consists of the 0-12 Browns, the 2-10 Jaguars, the 3-8 Jets and 3-9 Bears.
The Browns, coming off a bye week, still must play the Bengals, Bills, Chargers and Steelers. The 49ers have the Jets, Falcons, Rams and Seahawks.
In assessing the race for the No. 1 pick, Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated projects the Browns as having the best chance – they’ve certainly earned their spot as the NFL’s worst team – but he notes that if the Browns should come up with a surprising victory to finish tied with the 49ers at a win apiece, the Niners would get the top pick because the Browns played a tougher schedule (the NFL’s tie-breaking formula).
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com noted after Sunday’s loss to the Bears that San Francisco cemented its chances of getting one of the top two choices in the draft.
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“According to ESPN Stats & Information’s projections, the Niners now have a 79 percent chance of picking in the top two, up from a 58 percent chance they had going into the contest,” Wagoner wrote. “Had the Niners won, their chances of a top-two pick would have dipped to 30 percent.”
Right now, the top-ranked players among most draft analysts are projected to be Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, Alabama defensive end Jonathan Allen, Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer, LSU running back Leonard Fournette, Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers, Alabma tackle Cam Robinson and Washington wideout John Ross.
The 49ers play host to the Jets this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m.
