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The San Francisco 49ers enter the NFL Draft in a bit of an odd spot, as they have 11 selections, but none of them are before the third round. The 49ers are coming off a 13-4 season that saw quarterback Bryce Purdy emerge as a quality starter after Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance got injured. That said, there’s still some uncertainty at the position, as Garoppolo has left for Las Vegas, Purdy will be out for the foreseeable future with a UCL injury and Lance’s future is up in the air. Here’s a look at how the 49ers could do with those 11 selections through PFF’s seven-round mock draft.
Significant free agency additions
- DL Austin Bryant
- QB Sam Darnold
- OL Jon Feliciano
- DL Clelin Ferrel
- K Zane Gonzalez
- DL Javon Hargrave
- WR Jauan Jennings (re-sign)
- S Tashaun Gipson (re-sign)
- OL Jake Brendel (re-sign)
Significant free agency losses
- LB Azeez Al-Shaair
- DL Samson Ebukam
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo
- T Mike McGlinchey
- DL Hassan Ridgeway
- DB Jimmie Ward
49ers 7-round mock draft
Round 3: No. 99 — Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
Round 3: No. 101 — Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Round 3: No. 102 — Kobie Turner, DL, Wake Forest
Round 5: No. 155 (from MIA) — Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
Round 5: No. 164 — Jaxson Kirkland, OG, Washington
Round 5: No. 173 — Brodric Martin, DL, Western Kentucky
Round 6: No. 216 — Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE, Florida
Round 7: No. 222 (from DEN) — Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
Round 7: No. 247 — Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Kentucky
Round 7: No. 253 — Isaiah Land, EDGE, Florida A&M
Round 7: No. 255 — Demarco Hellams, EDGE, Alabama
The 49ers secondary is their biggest weakness, and they waste no time addressing that with their selection of Texas A&M corner back Jaylon Jones with their first pick in the draft. Jones only allowed 10 catches for 94 yards last season, and is just as skilled in the pass game as he is at stopping the run, which is a must in San Francisco’s dynamic defense.
San Francisco next picks come in back-to-back fashion in the third round, and they’re able to get good value with both by selecting LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and Wake Forest DL Kobie Turner. Boutte looked to be a first round pick after strong seasons in 2020 and 2021, but his play took a step back last season, part of which can be attributed to an ankle injury he suffered at the end of 2021. Turner was one of PFF’s highest rated pass rushers (he had a 93.1 PFF run-defense grade and an 88.8 pass-rushing grade last season) despite being undersized.