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Due to injuries to Nick Bosa and Dee Ford, Kerry Hyder Jr. (8.5) led the team in sacks last season. Ford's (roster and injury) status going forward is unclear.

Not only is Paye an outstanding run defender, but his elite athletic profile (previously topping Bruce Feldman's freaks list) gives him enormous upside as a pass-rusher.

Five quarterbacks in the opening nine picks would beat the previous record of five in the first 12 selections (1999). Jones doesn't have the rushing ability of the other four QBs, but he processes quickly, has excellent ball placement on short-to-intermediate throws and shows the ability to anticipate. He'd mesh nicely with the Niners' quick game and could bring more balance to an offense that has run on the sixth-highest percentage of plays in the NFL since coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.

Nick Wagoner on his fit with the 49ers: Jones would likely arrive as the understudy to incumbent Jimmy Garoppolo. I expect a setup similar to what the Chiefs did when they had Alex Smith and drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017. The goal would be to allow Jones to learn and develop for at least a season while Garoppolo continues to start and bolsters his value back to a point where the 49ers would have a difficult decision to make after the 2021 season.

Surtain is a high-floor cornerback who steps into Richard Sherman's role immediately.

With Nick Bosa coming off an ACL tear and Dee Ford's future murky because of a back issue, the 49ers are badly in need of a defensive end. But taking one here might be a reach. Slater is the best player on the board at this point. The 49ers could insert him immediately at right guard, a problem area in recent seasons, with an eye on him moving to tackle in the future. A plausible alternate scenario: Another team looking for a tackle trades up to get Slater, the 49ers trade back, draft a defensive end and add several more picks in the process. -- Matt Barrows

Change is coming to the 49ers' secondary in a major, major way. Cornerbacks Richard Sherman, Jason Verrett, and K'Waun Williams are all impending free agents, as is safety/do-it-all guy Jaquiski Tartt. That leaves Tarvarius Moore, Jimmie Ward, and Marcell Harris as San Francisco's safeties, and those three guys allowed a total of seven touchdowns and had no interceptions last season.

Few NFL executives understand the value of a field-tilting safety better than 49ers GM John Lynch, as Lynch was one for a number of years. And at this point, with the two best cornerbacks in this class gone, the 49ers might want to avail themselves of the best safety in the 2021 class. That would be Trevon Moehrig, the most recent winner of the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football every year.

Moehrig spent equal time in the box, in the slot, and at free safety last season in TCU's split-field coverage, and he was an eraser wherever he lined up. In three seasons with the Horned Frogs, Moehrig allowed 49 catches on 96 targets for 533 yards, 253 yards after the catch, five touchdowns, seven interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 54.7. Moehrig can do everything from stopping run fits to rolling to the deep third with ease, and there's Defensive Rookie of the Year potential here in the right scheme.

The 49ers need another outside presence opposite Nick Bosa, and Paye is my top-rated pass rusher in this year's class.

Cornerback Richard Sherman is eligible to hit free agency on March 17. So is Jason Verrett. And Ahkello Witherspoon, Dontae Johnson, K'Waun Williams and Jamar Taylor too. The 49ers seem destined to make a signing or two at the position, but there are clear long-term needs and Fairley is an excellent fit. He began his career at receiver before moving to cornerback in 2018, then allowed just 18 catches and on 50 targets and one touchdown a year later. At 6-foot-2, the upside is super high. But he did opt out of the 2020 season, which means he's light on experience and there's no telling what the year off will do to a developing player. Just so many unknowns all over this draft.

Regardless of who the quarterback is, the interior offensive line needs to be upgraded. Slater opted out this season due to COVID, but handled the mighty Chase Young as a junior while playing left tackle and didn't allow a single sack the entire season. He's versatile and talented enough to play all five offensive line positions.