49ers Select: QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson / WR ArDarius Stewart, Alabama
This is what could happen if the San Francisco 49ers’ new general manager doesn’t waste the second overall selection on a quarterback.
Instead, John Lynch takes someone like Jamal Adams to help sure up his secondary and then makes a move with his former team to move back into the first-round when he sees this classes top quarterback still available at 19th overall.
Deshaun Watson isn’t what I’d call starter ready, but he’s the best thing this quarterback class has seen, and he’s a proven winner.
Later on, with the Bucs’ fourth-round pick, Lynch can go ahead and add Alabama receiver ArDarius Stewart to come in and help his rookie passer get someone to throw to.
He can turn quick passes and bubble screens into chunk plays, and fits in with a team needing options to throw to early in his quarterback’s progression.
With this, the 49ers have a future. Without it, they probably have Deshone Kizer.
Trading out of the first-round wouldn’t make many Buccaneers fans happy on day one of the NFL Draft.
More from Bucs Draft
- The Athletic’s early NFL Mock Draft has the Bucs taking a Top 5 QB in 2024
- Bucs front office reveals one thing the team missed during NFL Draft
- Peter King explains simple reason why Bucs passed on drafting Will Levis
- Mel Kiper Jr. hands out his official Buccaneers draft grade
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted free agents tracker 2023
However, this is the year to trade out and gain picks if you were ever going to do it.
Here, Tampa moves into the second round, gains a third-round pick and swaps up in the fourth. These moves open up new names to pick from, but some are familiar.
We all know who Joe Mixon is. We all know the baggage he brings. Still, the stance most have taken – including myself – is, if Jason Licht takes him it’s because he feels Mixon is a good guy who made a bad mistake.
I’m not trying to trivialize what he did, but I’m also not turning this into an expose on morals and the NFL landscape.
From a talent standpoint, Mixon is elite and gives the Buccaneers the out they need to cut ties with Doug Martin if they so choose.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin knows what it means to resurrect a reputation as he’s been part of the re-birth for Penn State.
Now, he hopes to help complete the re-birth of the Bucs’ passing game joining DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans with this pick.
Godwin is the perfect number four receiver to play behind Adam Humphries on the depth chart, and I can express enough how much I hope he lands in Tampa.
Finally, moving up in the fourth helps Licht get his secondary some safety talent from one of the promising players in this year’s talent loaded class.
Tedric Thompson is right behind Marcus Maye for me in this year’s crop, and if Maye is there then he’s the pick here for me.
Either way, the team will be happy with the guy they get, and we’ll all be fans soon enough.