2019 NFL Mock Draft: Projected first round after Week 9
. DE. Clemson. Clelin Ferrell. 5. player. 42
The 49ers have some pieces in place to potentially contend very soon in the NFC if Jimmy Garoppolo can stay healthy.
A big thing they have been missing defensively is a legitimate pass rusher; the 49ers haven’t had a player exceed 6.5 sacks in a single season since 2013. Currently, the 49ers rank 27th in the NFL with just 13 combined sacks in seven games.
Ferrell has racked up six sacks in seven games for Clemson so far this season, and had 9.5 sacks last year as a sophomore. Over his career, he has managed 41 tackles-for-loss and 21.5 sacks in two and a half seasons.
Ferrell would fit nicely opposite Solomon Thomas, and with young linebacker Reuben Foster also in the fold, the Niners would have the makings of a strong young defense.
They could also target a corner like LSU’s Greedy Williams with this pick as they need someone to go on the opposite side of Richard Sherman, who has performed well during his time in San Fran. They also need to find more weapons for Garoppolo, but this is probably too high to grab one of the receivers this year.