Photo credit: @NBCS49ers

By: Joe Lami

The 49ers have thankfully made it to the bye week after a disastrous start to the season fueled by injuries. With a 2-8 record, they’re once again lined up for a top pick in the draft. However, the 2019 Draft isn’t as sexy as last 2018’s, with just a handful of offensive skilled positions projected to go in the first round.

The Niners are slated to take a defensive player to bolster the edge rushing, linebacking core, or secondary. This year is the perfect draft for that with a plethora of options to choose from in the first round. In Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock draft, 21 of the top 25 players on the board play defense.

With just six games remaining, the 49ers need to find a way to “finish” games, something that has been a staple of Kyle Shanahan pressers all season long. One can attribute that to the lack of talent on the roster. That argument is justifiable, but it goes beyond that.

Three blown fourth-quarter leads this season, and six blown halftime leads in his tenure as San Francisco’s head coach, more blame needs to be placed on Shanahan. He needs to learn how to manage games better with the talent that he has and not expose his team to the dramatic failure it has been down the wire.

He needs to prove that once the talent gets there, he is the right man for the job. He couldn’t protect a 28-point lead in the sport’s biggest stage before he came to San Francisco, he’s not protecting leads now, what gives the Faithful confidence in the future?

With games against the Bucs, Broncos, Seahawks (x2), Bears, and Rams left, it’s safe to say that half of the games should be close. A combined 22-25 opponent record on the horizon, it’s time for this team and this regime to learn how to win.

Screw the ultra-high draft pick, learn how to finish.