49ers snag Heisman Trophy winner in NFL Wire mock draft
Another offensive playmaker isn’t very high on the 49ers’ list of priorities in this year’s NFL draft, but there’s a growing chance the most prolific wide receiver in the country from last season could drop to them at the No. 12 overall pick. Rather than eschewing Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith to trade back or reach for a player at a more pressing position of need, the 49ers in the NFL Wire’s most recent mock draft scoop up Smith and give themselves perhaps the best group of pass catchers in the NFL.
On the surface it doesn’t make a ton of sense since Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk figure to be the top two receivers, but both dealt with injuries last year and Kendrick Bourne’s exit in free agency left a vacancy at the third wide receiver spot. Smith can do everything Bourne could in the 49ers’ offense and then some.
Here’s Doug Farrar, who authored the mock:
If you want to find stats that detail his versatility and perfect fit in any offense, last season, he ranked first in the NCAA in deep receptions and yards, and first in screen receptions and screen yards. Wherever he is on the field, Smith will find a way to smoke your defense.
Smith filled up the traditional box score as well. In 2019 he posted 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns on 68 catches. He followed that up with 117 receptions, 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns en route to a Heisman Trophy win last year.
He impacts games in so many ways that it’d be hard to knock San Francisco for snagging the best player available. They’d need to work hard to fill some other needs later in the draft, but Smith would undoubtedly give the 49ers one of the NFL’s most prolific group of playmakers.
