2015 NFL mock draft: 49ers select Bud Dupree

With the 15th pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2015 NFL mock draft, the San Francisco 49ers select Kentucky defensive end/outside linebacker Bud Dupree. Levy's Beard is serving as the 49ers' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.

Around this time a year ago, you could easily make the argument that the San Francisco 49ers were one of the top five teams in the NFL. The roster was loaded with both young, up-and-coming talent and savvy veterans, and they were coming off of a season that saw them lose in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Fast forward a year and it's a completely different story. Sudden retirements, underperforming stars and key departures via free agency have left this roster with holes all over the depth chart, which really simplified my job as their mock GM.

For me, the 49ers simply just need more talent right now at pretty much any position, so I took the best player available approach to this draft. I knew the top names would be off the board by the time the 15th pick rolled around, but I had my top three down to Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree and Todd Gurley. I took a long look at Gurley here, but Dupree was just a much safer pick, and I think the combination of him and Aldon Smith could be a great one for years to come.

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Check out the 2015 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.