49ers likely eyeing these NFL draft prospects

The first round of the NFL draft is Thursday, and for now, the 49ers own the ninth pick.

If they trade up, they could take Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb or Penn State running back Saquon Barkley.

If the 49ers trade down, they could take University of Texas-San Antonio defensive end Marcus Davenport, Boston College outside linebacker Harold Landry or Iowa guard/center James Daniels.

But if the 49ers don't trade up or down - if they stay at pick No. 9 - they will probably select one of the following five players:

1. LB Roquan Smith, Georgia

The 49ers may have to find a replacement for middle linebacker Reuben Foster, in case the league suspends him or he goes to jail. The Santa Clara County D.A. charged Foster on April 12 with three felonies, including domestic violence. He may not be in the league next season.

The top linebacker in this draft is Georgia's Smith, who recorded 137 tackles last season and won the NCAA's Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker.

Smith is faster than Foster - Smith has been compared to Patrick Willis when he's chasing down ball carriers outside the tackles.

But Smith doesn't appear as strong as Foster. He hasn't been able to take on blockers, hold his ground and make tackles like Foster.

Blockers have pushed Smith out of the play.

He may need protection from blockers.

That means he'd probably be a weakside linebacker in the 49ers' defense - not a middle linebacker. He likely can't replace what Foster does.

2. LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech

Edmunds is a legitimate middle linebacker.

He's 6-foot-5, 253 pounds. He can take on blocks between the tackles and he can run sideline to sideline - he ran a 4.54 at the NFL Scouting Combine. He might be the most athletic player in the entire draft, and he's only 19 years old.

Edmunds appears to be a more suitable replacement for Foster than Smith.

But depending on the 49ers' thinking, Edmunds might not be the best player they can get with the ninth pick.

The 49ers may choose to pass on Edmunds and take a defensive back if they can get a starting-quality middle linebacker in Round 2.

Boise State's middle linebacker, Leighton Vander Esch, should be available then. He recorded 141 tackles last season, and is 6-foot-4, 256 pounds.

3. S Derwin James, Florida State

James is a strong safety reminiscent of Kam Chancellor on the Seattle Seahawks. James could become the 49ers' best player, tone-setter and leader on defense right away - he's that highly regarded.

But the 49ers may not be in the market for a strong safety. They already have Jaquiski Tartt, who played well last season. And they can re-sign Eric Reid, still a free agent.

The 49ers almost certainly need a cornerback more than a safety. Their starters at cornerback are Ahkello Witherspoon, who has started only nine games in his career. And Richard Sherman, who's 30 and recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

If a special cornerback is available at pick No. 9, the 49ers may take him instead of James or another safety.

4. S/CB Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

That special corner could be Fitzpatrick. In 2017, he won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back and the Bednarik Award for the Defensive Player of the Year.

Fitzpatrick mostly played slot cornerback for Alabama, but he also played safety and outside corner. He even played some linebacker. He's reminiscent of Charles Woodson, who played many different positions and went to nine Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers. Fitzpatrick could have a similar impact in the NFL.

Still, he may not be the best corner in this draft.

5. CB Denzel Ward, Ohio State

Last year, the 49ers didn't take Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore with their first pick - they took defensive end Solomon Thomas. Lattimore went to the New Orleans Saints, where he earned a Pro Bowl berth and the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Would the 49ers pass on the next Marshon Lattimore? Some draft experts think Ward will be even better than Lattimore. Ward runs faster, cuts quicker and jumps higher than Lattimore.

But Ward is an inch shorter than Lattimore - Ward is 5-foot-11. And the 49ers in the past have preferred big corners. The shortest corner they had last season was 6-foot-2. The smaller DBs played safety or nickel back.

The 49ers might adjust their requirements for Ward.

They're moving Jimmie Ward from safety to corner this offseason, and he's a quarter-inch shorter than Denzel Ward. The 49ers' defense seems to be evolving. Their defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, is a protege of Gus Bradley, the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. Those two share a philosophy and scheme. Bradley mentored Saleh on the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2012, and on the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2014 to 2016.

Bradley went to the Chargers last season and changed his philosophy and scheme. There, he used smaller corners than he had in the past - both of his starters were 5-foot-11. And one of them, Casey Hayward, went to the Pro Bowl.

As a disciple of Bradley, Saleh may begin to embrace smaller corners, too.

Enter Ward.