2015 NFL Mock Draft: Titans Take Mariota, Eagles Select Cornerback

player. 42. After a tumultuous offseason, the San Francisco front office keeps new head coach Jim Tomsula in his comfort zone by drafting a defensive lineman. With Justin Smith’s future in limbo, the 49ers cannot afford to disregard his eventual replacement along the defensive front. The San Francisco defense has already lost enough and needs to start trying to replicate what they built in the year’s leading up to their recent run of success. The 49ers had one of the best defenses in football and a lot of that was due in part to the play of their defensive line. Some teams prefer to allocate their resources toward the back-end of the defense, but something tells me the 49ers would prefer to stay the course with a formula they’ve used before. Tomsula is in a precarious situation as it is given what has happened in the past few months with the 49ers organization. No need for any more curveballs when Armstead is an ideal target for the type of player who could fill in for Smith eventually along the defensive front.. Defensive End. Oregon. Arik Armstead. 15