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<\/p>\n\u2018I feel the need\u2026 the need for speed.\u2019<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan fully admitted his team needed to get faster when he spoke to reporters during his end-of-season press conference last January.<\/p>\n
That points to roster moves, especially ones via the upcoming NFL Draft this April where speedy players can help make the Niners much more dynamic and lethal on both sides of the ball.<\/p>\n
With readily apparent needs at both wide receiver and the pass-rush departmet, it\u2019s not hyperbole to say this year\u2019s draft is among the most vital in the Shanahan-general manager John Lynch era, especially if San Francisco wants to keep pace with other NFC West contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks.<\/p>\n
Adding speed will help.<\/p>\n
Shanahan and Lynch should get a pretty good idea about which prospects are speedy when the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine plays out over the next week-plus, and Niner Noise\u2019s latest mock draft focuses on giving the 49ers some faster options.<\/p>\n
With Pro Football Focus\u2019 mock-draft tool as our guide, let\u2019s mock out four rounds to solve the Niners\u2019 need for speed.<\/p>\n
Speed-focused 4-round mock draft for 49ers ahead of NFL Combine<\/p>\n
TJ Parker<\/strong><\/p>\n Typically, Niner Noise mocks have kicked off with wide receivers as of late, but with the preferred Round 1 names already off the board, the shift focuses on revamping the pass rush.<\/p>\n And there are few pass-rushers expected to be faster than Clemson\u2019s T.J. Parker.<\/strong><\/p>\n Anticipated to run a 40-yard time between 4.65 and 4.75 seconds, the 6-foot-3 and 263-pound edge defender has all the intangible traits that could help turn him into a quality outside force opposite Nick Bosa and in parallel with Mykel Williams, although it\u2019s safe to say Parker needs a lot of work in his pass-rush arsenal.<\/p>\n The power and speed are both there, though. So, with some patience and coaching, Parker could be a vital piece in moving the Niners away from the league bottom in sack production.<\/p>\n Emmanuel Pregnon<\/strong><\/p>\n Waiting on a wide receiver beyond Round 2 might be risky, but the chance to grab a draft faller in Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon is too good to pass up.<\/p>\n Pregnon, projected to run a 40-yard time of 5.2 seconds (within the 72nd percentile), is a plug-and-play left guard who can dominate in the run game and fits perfectly into Shanahan\u2019s outside-zone run scheme. Considering how San Francisco struggled to get its run game into much of a rhythm last season, it certainly wouldn\u2019t hurt to begin up front and focus on the trenches with this pick.<\/p>\n Plus, the 49ers have a clear hole at left guard, too, with Spencer Burford hitting free agency and a need to find someone to play alongside future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-5, 318-pound Pregnon solves that with physicality and technique.<\/p>\n Antonio Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a good thing this year\u2019s wideout class is deep, and the Niners wouldn\u2019t mind Clemson\u2019s Antonio Williams as a consolation prize if they miss out on some of the draft\u2019s bigger-name receivers like USC\u2019s Makai Lemon, Washington\u2019s Denzel Boston or Texas A&M\u2019s K.C. Concepcion.<\/p>\n Slightly undersized at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Williams nevertheless wins with exceptional route-running technique, strong hands and versatility to line up wherever needed. And it wouldn\u2019t be a shock if he teased a sub-4.40 time at the combine either.<\/p>\n True, there are some injury concerns here, and San Francisco understandably wants to avoid those where possible.<\/p>\n But, banking on Williams\u2019 upside and overall fit, it\u2019d be hard to turn down a chance to grab him and deploy his skills right away.<\/p>\n 127<\/p>\n Malik Muhammad<\/strong><\/p>\n He might not be the fastest cornerback in the class, but Texas\u2019 Malik Muhammad is far from the slowest and is well within the expectation of running a 40-yard time below 4.5 seconds \u2014 preferred for a corner.<\/p>\n At 6-foot and 183 pounds, Muhammad fits well in zone-coverage schemes, can play several spots within the secondary and has the ability to be a day-one contributor on special teams.<\/p>\n With some uncertainty around how the 49ers now view two-year cornerback Renardo Green, grabbing a potential replacement\/upgrade is worthwhile.<\/p>\n Jager Burton<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s not an immediate need, per se, but the Niners have to be thinking about a long-term replacement for aging center Jake Brendel. Plus, Shanahan typically likes experience in the very center of his offensive line anyway.<\/p>\n Jager Burton should be quick enough, and he also wins with solid punch in run support with the ability to bounce outside to guard, if needed.<\/p>\n Pass protection needs some work, but Burton isn\u2019t being grabbed her as a plug-and-play prospect.<\/p>\n Reggie Virgil<\/strong><\/p>\n With Brandon Aiyuk on his way out, and potentially Jauan Jennings right behind him in free agency, San Francisco can\u2019t be content grabbing just one receiver in this year\u2019s class, and it should be expected that a double-down effort is made here.<\/p>\n Texas Tech\u2019s Reggie Virgil is a fascinating prospect; a 6-foot-3 and 190-pound frame boasting a wide catch radius and with a likely 4.40 40-yard time working in his favor.<\/p>\n A true deep threat with good route-running skills, Virgil might need to add some bulk to his slender frame, which might take away some of his speed as a result.<\/p>\n But, if the 49ers want a faster and leaner version of Jennings, Virgil might be the guy to target.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2018I feel the need\u2026 the need for speed.\u2019 San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan fully admitted his team needed to get faster when he spoke to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":155764,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-155763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n