Grant Cohn: 49ers' best course for rebuilding through draft

Yesterday, I gave you Part 3 of my four-part series on rebuilding the 49ers from the perspective of Eliot Wolf, one of the leading GM candidates. This is Part 4.

MAKING THE RIGHT DRAFT PICKS

After the 49ers sign quarterback Jay Cutler and defensive end DeMarcus Ware, as I explained in Parts 2 and 3, Wolf must decide whom to draft.

The 49ers own pick No. 2. Most draft prognosticators predict the Niners will take the No. 1 quarterback — Mitch Trubisky from North Carolina. But Wolf wouldn't make that mistake.

Maybe Wolf would draft Trubisky in the third round. Taking him any sooner would be a reach. Why? Well, let's examine Bill Parcells' four rules for drafting quarterbacks, rules which all of Ron Wolf's disciples follow.

Rule 1: The QB must be a senior. Trubisky is a junior. 0-for-1.

Rule 2: The QB must be a graduate. Trubisky is not a graduate. 0-for-2.

Rule 3: The QB must be a three-year starter. Trubisky is a one-year starter. 0-for-3.

Rule 4: The QB must have won 23 games. Trubisky won eight. 0-for-4.

Trubisky is a one-year wonder. He has a very small body of work, and may be a fluke. We don't know. Drafting him requires a leap of faith Wolf wouldn't take. Nor should any GM. One-year-wonder quarterbacks almost never succeed in the NFL. Parcells rules have merit.

Wolf's best move is to trade the No. 2 pick to a team that doesn't follow Parcells' rules. A team that covets Trubisky. A team like the Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

'The Jets are all over this kid,' a rival scout told Mehta. 'All over him. They'll probably deny it if you ask, but they love that kid. That's their guy.'

Bingo.

So, what will the Jets trade the Niners for Trubisky? Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles traded pick No. 8 plus their third-rounder, fourth-rounder, first-rounder in 2017 and second-rounder in 2018 to the Cleveland Browns for pick No. 2. That's the kind of move Wolf will make.

The Jets own pick No. 6. To trade for Trubisky, they will have to give the Niners two first-rounders — one this year and one next year — plus a third-rounder in 2017. And after that trade, the 49ers will have four selections in the first three rounds — pick Nos. 6, 34, 66 and 70. Nice.

Let's look at how Wolf would use his picks.

The Niners need a cornerback, an inside linebacker, a nose tackle, a guard, a quarterback, a running back and a wide receiver. Stick with the wide receiver for a moment.

The Niners have a few wide receivers who are pretty good — Torrey Smith, Jeremy Kerley, Bruce Ellington and Rod Streater. Not one is a No. 1 receiver, a receiver who commands double coverage so his teammates get to face single coverage. A receiver who makes life easy for everyone else. A receiver like Amari Cooper. Or Terrell Owens. Or Jerry Rice.

No. 1 receivers are rare. Trent Baalke repeatedly tried to find one in the fourth round of the draft and failed. Tough to find them there. You usually need to draft one with a high pick.

So with the sixth pick, Wolf will select wide receiver Mike Williams from Clemson. What kind of player is he? Think DeAndre Hopkins from the Texans, only faster. Williams can break away from the defense and score an 80-yard touchdown and can make tough catches over the middle on third down. He will be the 49ers' first-round pick. The heir to Rice and Owens.

With the Niners' second-round pick, Wolf will take inside linebacker Jarrad Davis from Florida. He fills the biggest hole on defense. NaVorro Bowman still is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon — who knows if or when he'll play again? And the other starting linebacker is Ray-Ray Armstrong, who's not exactly Ray Lewis, or even Ray-Ray Lewis.

In the third round, the Niners will have two picks. With the first one, Wolf will take a running back — Jamaal Williams from BYU — because the Niners can't rely on Carlos Hyde. He gets injured too much. Plus, he'll be a free agent in 2018. Williams can replace him.

And with the second third-round pick, Wolf will take a corner — Howard Wilson from Houston. He will start alongside Rashard Robinson. Jimmie Ward will move to free safety.

With the Niners' fourth-round pick, Wolf will take a guard — Dorian Johnson from the University of Pittsburgh. And with the Niners' fifth-round pick, Wolf will take a backup quarterback — Davis Webb, a senior from Cal — and wait until next year to draft the franchise quarterback.

That's how Wolf will begin to rebuild the 49ers.

Grant Cohn writes sports columns and the 'Inside the 49ers' blog for The Press Democrat's website. You can reach him at grantcohn@gmail.com.