49ers take Kentucky LB Josh Allen and Alabama LB Mack Wilson in mock draft

I have some good news for you: the NFL Combine is going to be happening next week, that means the predictability of Nick Bosa/Josh Allen might get a monkey wrench thrown into it at this time next week. Well, if someone goes nuts or one of those two above names has a bad showing.

But we’re not there yet, so let’s do a mock draft where the first pick is what you’ve seen, but the second pick is someone fresh and new to talk about. I’m talking about NBC Washington’s Ben Standig putting together a full NFL mock draft of the first two rounds.

For the first pick, the 49ers pick up Josh Allen. Nothing new here. Here’s what he said on the pick:

“Allen’s rise up public draft boards continues after finishing the regular season with 14 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. San Francisco needs outside pass rushers after selecting young interior forces in recent seasons.”

The pick to really be interested in is the 36th pick. The 49ers get themselves another linebacker. Another Alabama linebacker. They grab Mack Wilson.

The 49ers released ILB Reuben Foster and replace him with another Crimson Tide prospect.

Mack Wilson. Put him and Fred Warner at the WILL and MIKE spots and there’s your linebacking tandem.

So who is Wilson? He’s 6 feet, and 231 pounds, according to his page on Draft Network. He was a five-star recruitment out of high school and is noted for his ball skills. The weakness of him is his ability to diagnose the offense—something crucial at the NFL level. The good news is, diagnosing coverages is something he can learn in the classroom, provided he’s willing to learn. The 49ers had issues with Reuben Foster’s ability to communicate, which is why Warner took over play calling duties in 2018 and never looked back.

The issue with Wilson is the 49ers have Elijah Lee. He showed great improvement as the season went on and has been said by Robert Saleh to be in competition for the starting spot. If Wilson provides that much of an upgrade both present and for the future investment, then perhaps bringing him in is the right move. Kyle Shanahan has learned the value of competition after the Ahkello Witherspoon regression and nothing speaks competition more than having Elijah Lee going up against a second round pick for his job.

If the 49ers don’t have plans for Lee in the future, then Wilson would be a lethal tandem with Fred Warner. If you can’t see the poll below, click here.