Grant Cohn: 49ers' draft challenge more total makeover than tweaks

The 49ers wouldn’t be in this position if they had gotten things right the first time.

What position are the 49ers in? You could call it the fetal position. The position of rebirth. The position of completely starting over.

The Niners are rebuilding yet again. They tried to rebuild the roster the past few seasons, but failed, and now they’re rebuilding the rebuild.

The original rebuild included highly drafted busts such as guard Brandon Thomas (third-round pick, hasn’t played a single game), center Marcus Martin (third-round pick, one of the worst offensive linemen in the NFL), running back Marcus Lattimore (fourth-round pick, retired - never played a single game), outside linebacker Corey Lemonier (third-round pick, one sack in 42 games), tight end Vance McDonald (second-round pick, 40 catches in 37 games), defensive tackle Tank Carradine (second-round pick, four sacks in 23 games), running back LaMichael James (second-round pick, 193 career rushing yards), and wide receiver A.J. Jenkins (first-round pick, no longer in the league).

Those are eight big-time draft picks who didn’t work out. Now, general manager Trent Baalke has to replace those players before the Niners replace him. His job is on the line. One more bad draft, and the Niners could say: “You’re fired.”

What must Baalke do to save his job and get the Niners back on their feet? Let’s examine the situation.

Team Needs

Start with defense.

The Niners need a cornerback to replace Chris Culliver, who signed with the Washington Redskins in 2015. Kenneth Acker was supposed to be Culliver’s replacement, but Acker isn’t starting material.

The Niners also need an inside linebacker to replace Chris Borland, who was supposed to replace Patrick Willis, who retired. Borland retired, too.

The Niners also need an outside linebacker to replace Aldon Smith, who got cut last year, plus one to replace Corey Lemonier, who is in danger of getting cut. That means the Niners need two outside linebackers.

The Niners also need another free safety just in case Eric Reid suffers his fourth concussion. And the Niners need another nose tackle just in case Ian Williams and Glenn Dorsey, both of whom are injured, can’t play when the regular season begins.

Basically, the Niners need players at every position on defense. Are we having fun yet?

Now, let’s look at offense.

The Niners need a wide receiver to replace Anquan Boldin, who’s a free agent.

The Niners also need a running back to back up the injury-prone starter, Carlos Hyde.

The Niners also need a right tackle to replace Anthony Davis, who retired last season and says he plans to unretire soon, but never gets around to filing the paperwork.

The Niners also need a right guard to replace Brandon Thomas, who never seemed to fully recover from tearing his ACL just before the Niners drafted him.

The Niners also need a center to replace Marcus Martin, who was supposed to replace Daniel Kilgore because Kilgore gets hurt a lot.

Oh, and the Niners also need a quarterback to eventually replace Colin Kaepernick, who doesn’t want to be on the team, and Blaine Gabbert, who will be a free agent in 2017.

Basically, the Niners need players for every position on the team. Luckily, Baalke has 12 draft picks this year. He can fill the Niners’ needs if he drafts the right players.

Top Targets

Of the players the 49ers are known to have met with, only five are worth the Niners’ first-round pick, which is the seventh pick in the draft. Those players are Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Ohio State edge rusher Joey Bosa, Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner, Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.

One of those five players should be available at pick No. 7. Most experts think picks Nos. 1 and 2 will be quarterbacks Carson Wentz from North Dakota State and Jared Goff from Cal. If those two get picked first, one of the five best non-quarterbacks will fall to the Niners.

That’s the good news. Here’s what might be really good news: The Niners don’t have to take one of those five players. The Niners can do even better. They can trade down and get many good players.

This is what the Niners could do: Get the Titans on the horn. Offer them the seventh pick in exchange for their first-rounder - pick No. 15 - and one of their second-rounders.

The Titans currently have three second-round picks after acquiring two in a trade with the L.A. Rams. The Titans don’t need all of those picks. Take one off their hands.

With the first-rounder from Tennessee, the Niners could draft Houston cornerback William Jackson III. He’s the best corner in the draft, and the Niners seem to want a starting corner. During free agency, they reportedly tried and failed to sign Sean Smith, Casey Hayward and Josh Norman. Expensive, quality corners. Jackson would be cheaper and just as talented as those three.

If Jackson isn’t available, the Niners could take Clemson edge rusher Shaq Lawson, who’s a force against both the pass and the run.

He could start right away, as opposed to Aldon Smith who came off the bench his rookie season because he was exclusively a pass-rushing specialist. Lawson is diversified.

If Lawson isn’t available, the Niners might take UCLA inside linebacker Myles Jack, who may be the most talented player in the draft. He probably will fall out of the top-10 picks due to a knee injury which could shorten his career, but probably won’t affect him until he hits his 30s. At pick No. 15, he might be worth the Niners’ risk.