The 2015 regular season is over, and that means it's time for legit 2016 NFL Draft analysis and predictions for the top 20 picks, which are now set. Pick No. 7 overall are the San Francisco 49ers, and this is a team that has fallen apart over the past couple of seasons -- especially last offseason. Their biggest area of need for this offseason is certainly to rebuild a defense that has lost much, and a great way to start would be by selecting Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche.
In the past year, everyone around the NFL knows how much of a hit this team took in the first handful of months of 2015. Jim Harbaugh was let go and Patrick Willis retired unexpectedly, which was followed up by Justin Smith deciding to call it quits as well.
Right there, they lost arguably their two best defensive players and a head coach that had been there for some of their most successful years in recent history.
They also took a couple of other hits defensively with off-field issue guys being released, such as Ray McDonald and most notably Aldon Smith. Suddenly, this defense, that had been one of the most dominant in the league, was looking pretty soft. Other than Navarro Bowman and Eric Reid, who did they have to instill fear in the offense? Not much.
If this team is to start rebuilding and do it the right way, they have to start up front. It's hard to get much done if your offensive or defensive line isn't up to par, and so when the Niners select with their top-10 pick, that should be at the forefront of their choice.
And that's exactly why a player like defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche makes so much sense.
Nkemdiche is simply a monster. He's not a clone of Justin Smith -- he's an animal all his own. Simply put, he's a disruptive force, which is something the Niners' D-line is missing right now. There's nobody who can blow up a play before it starts, or someone who commands the attention of more than one blocker. He would change that.
At 6-foot-4, 296 pounds, the way he moves is incredible. Nkemdiche has such a rare combination of size, power and quickness that offensive lineman simply can't compete with. But he doesn't come without his warts.
Nkemdiche was suspended by Ole Miss for their bowl game because of an arrest. He was charged with possession of marijuana, but that's hardly a red flag for a player. A lot of athletes end up getting caught with it and turn out just fine, as it doesn't really have an adverse affect on them. (In fact, it should be legal, but that's a story for another day, and has nothing to do with the draft.)
The 49ers need to start somewhere, and Nkemdiche is a damn good talent to begin with, as he'd be a force as a 3-4 DE without question.
