With free agency and roster cuts decimating the 49ers defensive line, John Lynch turns to the NFL Draft to land young reinforcements.
The San Francisco 49ers wholly gutted their defensive line at the beginning of the league new year.
In tandem with the beginning of free agency, the Niners said goodbye to a number of established veterans, including defensive end Leonard Floyd and defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave, all of whom quickly signed new deals elsewhere.
On top of that, San Francisco missed out on landing now-Buffalo Bills defensive end Joey Bosa, who opted not to join his brother, Nick Bosa, in the Bay Area after a not-shocking release by the Los Angeles Chargers.
The 49ers have plenty of other needs, but it’s hard to argue the D-line being anything but No. 1 on that list, especially after failing to find adequate replacements on the free-agent market to date.
Armed with 11 total picks in April’s NFL Draft, including No. 11 overall, general manager John Lynch is expected to take advantage of what’s shaping up to be a deep D-line class.
Using our trusty Pro Football Focus mock-draft simulator, it’s time to get the Niners back on the clock with the first wave of free agency now in the books.
49ers focus on D-line in latest 7-round mock NFL Draft
It would have been nice if Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham was available, but he went at No. 9 overall, leaving San Francisco to grab a relentless pass-rusher at No. 11 instead, Marshall’s Mike Green.
Green wowed during the week of Senior Bowl practices, and his high motor and variety of pass-rushing moves lend thought to the idea of a perfect Bosa pairing. It’s been an ongoing effort to find a complementary defensive end, and the hope would be for Green to do just that for the long term.
While not the ideal edge setter against the run just yet, the 6-foot-3 Green has plenty of thump that can finally bookend the 49ers’ defensive line on third downs.
An edge rusher in Round 1 is a good idea, especially considering the value, but finding defensive tackles should be atop the Niners’ priority list.
Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner coud potentially land toward the end of Round 1, but it’d be a blessing to slip to San Francisco’s Round 2 selection at No. 43 overall.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound interior lineman is built for coordinator Robert Saleh’s defense, and it’s been a void the 49ers haven’t truly addressed since the free-agent departure of D.J. Jones some years ago.
Not only is Turner a quality run stopper, but his pass-rushing relentlessness is underrated.
The Niners know too well what life is like without linebacker Dre Greenlaw, having missed him for all but 15 games last season. Aside from All-Pro Fred Warner, the depth at this spot is lacking, and it’s a massive leap to trust third-year pro Dee Winters to assume Greenlaw’s spot with the latter off to the Denver Broncos.
At 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds, Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr. is a bit undersized, but he’s built for quality pass coverage and wouldn’t have to assume LB1 duties anytime soon.
San Francisco already grabbed a nose tackle-like player in Turner, but it’s still missing a player of now-Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead’s ilk, and the effort to replace Armstead last season floundered.
At 6-foot-7 and 331 pounds, Kentucky’s Deone Walker has Armstead-like traits, in terms of size and the initial need for some pro-level refinement.
Armstead took a couple of seasons to find his footing, which is what’s expected out of Walker.
But, as a offensive line-wrecking force, Walker has all the traits to make it happen.
The 49ers find themselves thin at safety, particularly with Talanoa Hufanga departing for Denver and in light of Ji’Ayir Brown’s regression in year two, effectively leaving George Odum and Malik Mustapha in line to start in 2025.
Virginia’s Jonas Sanker is versatile, capable of playing both safety spots and serving as a nickel corner.
His special teams abilities would give him a chance to make an impact right away.
Charvarius Ward departed for the Indianapolis Colts, leaving the Niners a gaping void at cornerback opposite Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green. Behind them, San Francisco lacks any modest depth.
LSU’s Zy Alexander is a bit of a risk, having suffered a torn ACL in 2023. But he’s built for zone-style coverage, which Saleh will want to deploy again this season.
The streak of defensive-only players ends in Round 5 with the pick acquired from the Washington Commanders for wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
True, the 49ers grabbed a free-agent tight end in Luke Farrell. But he’s more of the blocking type, and the Niners should take advantage of a deep tight end class to find a pass-catching option to pair with the All-Pro, George Kittle.
Georgia’s Benjamin Yurosek fits the bill, even if he lacks the full breadth of Kittle-like upside.
Finding some depth for the offensive line has to be a priority, especially with both Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore leaving via free agency.
While San Francisco appears to have immediate fill-in replacements for both players, including Ben Bartch as a likely starter at left guard, getting an eventual long-term upgrade over center Jake Brendel has to be on the to-do list at some point.
USC’s Jonah Monheim might not be that upgrade anytime soon, if at all, but he’s versatile enough to back up a number of different spots, and that would be a wise use of a Round 6 pick.
The 49ers not only need starting defensive tackles. They need depth pieces, too, and that’s where Boston College’s Cam Horsley comes into play.
Almost exclusively a run stuffer at the next level, the 6-foot-3 and 312-pound defender can play both 1- and 3-techniques as a two-down player.
We’ll see if the Niners keep running back Jordan Mason after tendering the restricted free agent. But, if 2024 is any indication, stockpiling the backfield behind Mason, Isaac Guerendo and Christian McCaffrey would be a very smart thing.
South Carolina’s Raheim Sanders is a thumper and less of a finesse rusher, and there are concerns about ball security.
That said, serving as a rotational back could aid in San Francisco getting back to success in those short-yardage situations.
This year’s wide receiver class isn’t particularly deep or talented, but the 49ers would be wise to add to the back end of the depth chart anyway, especially after Samuel’s departure and the likelihood of Brandon Aiyuk starting the year on an injured list after tearing his ACL and MCL last season.
At 6-foot-2 and 213 pounds, Memphis’ Roc Taylor has size on his side but lacks separation skills, likely meaning he’s best used against zone coverage where precise route-running abilities aren’t quite as important.
A true developmental project, Taylor can at least keep the wide receiver pipeline intact.
