2017 NFL Draft grades: San Francisco 49ers
Ahkello Witherspoon
Cornerback, Colorado
Witherspoon plays smart and precise which is what you want to see. He graduated highschool at 5-foot-8 and was 6-foot-3 as a freshman in college. He took some time to get used to his body but has great on field skills and awareness and can be a great press man corner in the NFL.
Witherspoon can recognize and match routes giving him an ability to away balls and make strong breaks to play the ball. His issues come in tackling and if he can step up and be more active he can be a shutdown cornerback. He likely presents better value at 66 than a player like Kevin King who was selected 33rd overall.
C.J. Beathard
Quarterback, Iowa
This is a pretty questionable pick. Beathard comes from a pro style system and is very much a game managing quarterback. However, he is frantic in the pocket and does not have great ability to make multiple reads. He was sacked way too much behind a strong offensive line and is a major project. The 49ers likely drafted a career backup, and that is fine, but it is certainly questionable why they would do that so early in the first draft of their regime.