APC Mock Draft 2014: San Francisco 49ers select Ra'Shede Hageman

Continuing on with the Acme Packing Company Mock Draft, we break down the 30th overall pick held by the San Francisco 49ers.

Background

Over the past three seasons, few teams in the NFL have put together a resume quite like the 49ers. Three straight conference championships. A Super Bowl appearance. Smart draft picks and savvy free agent acquisitions. But ever since late January things haven't been so awesome. Not only did they lose the NFC Championship to their division rival (not to mention getting publicly berated by Richard Sherman for the next week), but they also lost star linebacker Navarro Bowman to a torn ACL in the process. Then came news the Niners front office is essentially sick Jim Harbaugh's BS, and if that weren't enough, Aldon Smith can't seem to quit living life like he's a character in Grand Theft Auto.

But even with all that turmoil, the 49ers remain one of the most supremely well-constructed teams in the league. They took the eventual Super Bowl champs down to the wire and so long as they manage to get through this off-season without completely imploding, they should be right back in the thick of things in 2014.

Because of all this, the Niners have an envious amount of freedom when it comes to the draft. Without a glaring area of need, they can truly focus on choosing the best, most talented players available when it's their turn to pick. It also allows them to take chances that other teams without so much talent and depth are unable to take. And with their first round draft pick, that's just what they'll do.

With the 30th pick in the draft, the San Francisco 49'ers select...

Player: Ra'Shede Hageman
Position: Destroyer of Planets (also defensive tackle)
School: Minnesota
Year: Senior

My affinity for Ra'Shede Hageman has been well documented, but I actually think this makes a lot of sense for San Fran. As former NFL defensive end, Stephen White, pointed out in this SB Nation article, Hageman's biggest knock is his technique. Or rather, his lack thereof. So who better to learn from than one of the league's best 3-4 ends, Justin Smith? With Smith turning 35 years old early in the season, the Niners could use a big body to rotate in and Hageman might be the perfect solution now, as well as Smith's successor for the future. He's already built like a bank vault, and if he can learn some technique along the way, he could be an absolute monster for an already scary 49ers defense.

Round One Summary

We'll finish up the rest of the first round today with the Broncos' and Seahawks' picks.