Three picks, three defensive players.
So far, the San Francisco 49ers are making it apparent they believe it is a priority to fill some holes and add playmakers on the defensive side after losing several players since last season.
After selecting defensive end Arik Armstead Thursday with their first-round selection in the NFL draft, the Niners Friday took Samford safety Jaquiski Tartt with the 14th choice in Round 2, then drafted Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold with the 15th choice in Round 3.
Tartt, however, seemed an odd choice.
Safety isn’t necessarily a position of need for San Francisco, which has team MVP Antoine Bethea and third-year pro Eric Reid, along with Jimmie Ward, last year’s No. 1 pick who is a cornerback-safety hybrid.
Tartt, 6-foot-1 and 218 pounds, had six interceptions in his career at Samford and played well against athletes from bigger schools in the Senior Bowl.
As Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group also noted, he and Ward are best friends, dating to their time together in high school in Alabama.
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NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock was very impressed with Tartt at the Senior Bowl and suggests he could bring a physical, tough approach to the secondary.
“(He) showed up at the Senior Bowl with an attitude,” wrote Mayock. “He is a big-bodied thumper, and more athletic than given credit for. The question is, what is his coverage skill set? What I do know is when he shows up, he shows up in a bad humor.”
Harold was very productive at Virginia where he had 17½ sacks (11th all-time at the school) and 36½ tackles for loss (10th all time).
Harold, who is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, will join an outside linebacking group that also includes Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and Corey Lemonier. The team’s bigger need going into the draft seemed to be at inside linebacker, following the retirements of Chris Borland and Patrick Willis. However, Harold apparently was a playmaker too good for Baalke to pass.
