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Checklist: How 49ers can get A-plus haul in NFL draft

It’s an exciting time for the 49ers as they wade into Phase II of their overhaul under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. They’ve already added 18 new players and enter the NFL draft later this week with 10 selections, including second overall.

The draft will give Lynch and Shanahan their best chance at finding foundational pieces to build around. But it can be a minefield. There are no more valuable resources than early-round draft picks – and no easier way to lose trust from your owner and fan base than to misuse them.

Here we’ll try to give Lynch some help with a checklist that should put the 49ers roster in good shape entering the first year of their new regime.

Find a quarterback (duh)

The need is obvious. Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley are not the long-term answers, but they are stable enough to allow San Francisco not to feel desperate.

The 49ers can invest in a mid-round quarterback for Shanahan to develop. Maybe they strike it rich and find the next Dak Prescott or Kirk Cousins in the third or fourth round with Nathan Peterman (Pittsburgh), Brad Kaaya (Miami) or Josh Dobbs (Tennessee).

Speaking of Cousins, his potential availability next year looms over this whole class. If he doesn’t sign a long-term deal with Washington, he could be headed to San Francisco in 2018.

That should allow the 49ers to pass on taking a quarterback early, unless they trade into a spot that’s more palatable than second overall for someone like Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes. They have holes they could fill elsewhere with those valuable picks, like…

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