49ers top Raiders in coin flip for 9th spot in NFL draft

INDIANAPOLIS - The 49ers won their coin flip with the Oakland Raiders Friday, meaning they have the ninth pick in the April draft, with the Raiders choosing 10th. The two teams, as well the Miami Dolphins, who also finished 6-10, will rotate spots after the first round.

The 49ers traded their second-round pick, which turns out to be No. 43 overall, to the New England Patriots in the October exchange that sent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco. The 49ers have a later pick in the second round due to a 2017 draft-day trade with the New Orleans Saints.

Longtime cornerback Rod Woodson flipped a double-sided coin - the teams’ logos were on either side - in the weight-lifting area of the scouting combine inside the Indiana Convention Center. GM John Lynch stood on one side for the 49ers; coach Jon Gruden and GM Reggie McKenzie represented the Raiders.

“It felt a lot like the 16 games we played this year,” Lynch said afterward. “I can’t do a darn thing about them once they start. I wasn’t too stressed about it. I think the worst part about it: I got that glare that I used to get when I screwed up on the field from Chucky (Gruden).”

The teams had to flip a coin because their 2017 records were the same, as was their strength of schedule. The Dolphins had a slightly easier strength of schedule, which is based on the record of their opponents.

The result of the coin flip may end up being significant, given the 49ers’ and Raiders’ overlapping needs. Both are looking for cornerbacks, linebackers and edge rushers, meaning players like Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson, Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith and UT-San Antonio’s pass rusher Marcus Davenport could be at stake.

“One spot’s a big deal,” Lynch said. “Unfortunately for everyone involved, no one had any control. But Rod Woodson has a job for life.”