The 49ers defense last season lacked fire, intensity and leadership when NaVorro Bowman went down with his Achilles tear in Week 4. It ranked dead last in opponents’ yardage and scoring, while allowing the most yards rushing in team history en route to a 2-14 finish.

Finding players that can galvanize the huddle and locker room should be a mandate for new general manager John Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan in the upcoming NFL draft. With the second-overall pick, they have the ammunition to find a cornerstone to build around.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Burke published his latest mock draft this week, projecting LSU safety Jamal Adams to the 49ers.

Adams is a new prospect to get linked to San Francisco in mocks, mostly because Eric Reid and Jaquiski Tartt are highly-drafted incumbents. Reid was a first-round pick in 2013 while Tartt was taken in round two in 2015.

But the new regime should approach things with a long-term focus. Reid is entering a contract year while Tartt’s been used as a reserve during his first two seasons. Strong safety might not be an immediate need, but the 49ers should draft the best player available, which could be Adams, regardless of how the roster looks early in the rebuilding project.

Burke’s analysis:

This is a strange spot for the 49ers to be, because of where the strength of this class lies. Do they take a quarterback this high, after signing a pair in free agency? What about Jonathan Allen or Solomon Thomas, when DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead already are on the roster? Cornerback? Wide receiver? The pick is Adams here, because a) he deserves to be a top-five option, and b) in Adams and NaVorro Bowman, the 49ers would have their defensive field generals. QB or not QB: Definitely QB. New GM John Lynch signed not one, but two, bridge quarterbacks in Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley. The question is if grabbing a quarterback this high is worthwhile when the roster needs so much of an overhaul.​

We’ve long advocated avoiding using the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback in this class. Adams would be a tough pick to fault considering the 49ers are remaking their defense in the Seahawks’ mold and could use Adams to replicate Kam Chancellor.

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Adams would be a perfect strong safety working in an eight-man front in new coordinator Robert Saleh’s outfit. He checks all the boxes with his size (6-0, 214), athleticism and intangibles. His value may be heightened for San Francisco given their overall lack of leadership last season.

Ohio State safety Malik Hooker would also make sense for the 49ers. Deciding between Hooker and Adams is a matter of taste. They play different positions, but both are considered top-five prospects. Hooker fills a more immediate need with San Francisco lacking a center field-type safety outside of Jimmie Ward, who played cornerback last season and may be better off there to preserve his long-term health.

Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas makes sense along the same lines as Adams. San Francisco already has Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. But if the 49ers wanted Thomas, it might make Armstead expendable in a trade, or limit him to passing downs only. The same could be said if they took Alabama’s Jonathan Allen.

The draft is about six weeks out and we’ll have plenty of time to flesh out all the possible scenarios. For now, Adams would be a safe selection adding talent and leadership to San Francisco’s new-look defense.