The 49ers seem to be back on track but drafting a quarterback to start this season or shipping the number 2 overall pick for another quarterback will derail the train of momentum the team has built.

This offseason John Lynch was awarded an open check book. The Niners started the offseason having the most cap space, and after signing 11 players the first couple of days of free agency, they still have $73.9 million to spend.

The new front office spent the start of the offseason cutting their older players and signing some veteran free agents. Wide receiver Pierre Garcon is a reliable receiver and is the team’s biggest signing to date. Another key signing is Quarterback Brian Hoyer, who is a serviceable starter but will be used to transition to a better prospect.

Rumors that have made news is the Niners possibly shipping a package of draft picks for Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins who will play next season on a franchise tag will be due for a big payday, but the Niners’ would not be ready to compete yet.

What the Niners need to do now is build around the quarterback position to create a new culture in the locker room, while drafting for their future. Right now, a top tier quarterback won’t make this roster competitive.

A key reason why they shouldn’t invest into a top tier quarterback is that their offensive line was horrible last year. They struggled to protect the quarterback giving up 47 sacks and 82 qb hits all last season. But a bright spot that the line was able to accomplish is the line was able to amass 2,000 yards rushing.

The Niners currently have the second overall pick in the draft and analyst have mixed ideas on who should pick. But they all unanimously agree that they should address the defense.

“With the second overall I’ll Ruben Foster out of Alabama,” Communication major Nestor Dominguez said. “He’s the type of player that doesn’t need a complete team around him to be a top tier linebacker. He could lead a defense with his combination of size and speed.”

The Niners need to catch the fire that they had in the Jim Harbough days. That team had a punishing defense led by linebackers Patrick Willis, and Bowman. Having a top linebacker duo would improve the defense, which has looked lost in recent years.

Should the Niners choose to build their team through the defense and offensive line? Rushing the process to get a quarterback right now will lessen the rate of development for a young quarterback, while an established quarterback right now will not push them into the playoffs.