Ricky Pearsall could turn out to be a fine player, but he almost certainly was the wrong pick for the 49ers in Round 1 last year.

Pearsall looks like a quality No. 2 wide receiver, but the 49ers are a run-first team that wins when it plays dominant defense. And the defense fell apart this past season partially because the 49ers picked the wrong linebacker to replace Dre Greenlaw.

The 49ers wanted De’Vondre Campbell after the Packers cut him. In hindsight, the Packers knew what they were doing, considering Campbell quit midgame for the 49ers, and the Packers drafted Edgerrin Cooper to replace him. Cooper finished the season with 87 tackles.

That’s why The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher thinks the 49ers should have taken Cooper.

“The lack of linebacker depth for the San Francisco 49ers was a major issue all season,” writes Mosher. “They’ll likely have to address it in free agency in a few weeks, but in our re-draft, they go with Edgerrin Cooper to pair with Fred Werner. Cooper was one of the best defenders for the Packers down the stretch, and his athleticism jumps off the screen.”

Cooper would have been a fantastic pick. Now, the 49ers probably will have to sign a linebacker to a lucrative multi-year extension. Cooper would have been so much cheaper as a late first-round draft pick.

It will be interesting to see which linebacker the 49ers pursue this offseason now that Robert Saleh is back as their defensive coordinator. He’s a long-time linebackers coach who has an eye for the position.

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