2025 Draft: Day 2 Preview

Other than the giant Jaguars trade, the first 7 picks were as chalk as could be before things started getting crazy with the Panthers at pick 8. By the time we were on the clock at 11, all but the top two defensive linemen in the draft were available, and we quickly chose Georgia’s MYKEL WILLIAMS to line up opposite Bosa. He was undoubtedly our favorite prospect from that cluster of high-upside defensive linemen, so much so that Lynch admitted that the Niners tried to trade up to get him.

To be clear, I would have HATED that move. While Lynch didn’t name names, the team the Niners reached out to and were rebuffed by was most likely the Saints at pick 9, who ended up taking Kelvin Banks and likely were worried the Bears (or even the Niners) would have swooped him if they moved down two spots. Making a move that high in the draft would have likely cost us our first third-rounder, with a late-round pick thrown our way in return. Facing multiple roster holes and a draft with so much talent through the second day, that would have been a horrendous deal for us–tantamount to giving up a starter for a net zero gain.

Thankfully, we have Mykel Williams AND our third-round pick, and I have a few guesses as to why we were so high on this high-upside edge.

Trusted Confidants: The Niners put a lot of stock in the opinion of their “trusted confidants” on the college football scene–guys who they believe tell it to them straight and accurately about prospects. Herm Edwards (Aiyuk, Pearsall) has been one of those guys. The Notre Dame OL coach (McGlinchey, Banks) has been another. A lot has been made of Lynch’s effusive praise of Dan Lanning and how that probably points to us taking an Oregon player at some point in this draft. But for these purposes, we’re talking about Will Muschamp.

Muschamp was the head coach at South Carolina when we drafted Deebo and Kinlaw and is now the defensive coordinator at Georgia. The Niners undoubtedly reached out to him to discuss Mykel Williams, and he almost certainly gushed both about Williams’ trajectory as a pro and his impact on the Georgia locker room. For our staff, those kinds of recommendations speak volumes. 

Locker Room Impact: We had a stellar 2024 draft in part because we spent our picks on seasoned vets, locker room leaders, and super high-character guys. For better or worse, when the Niners have success with something, they like to stick to it until they’re knocked off that path. So if it came down to a tiebreaker between Williams and some of the other defensive linemen in this range, his highly vouched-for character could have sealed the deal.

Run Defense PTSD: But what about Jalon Walker–another Georgia standout who’s been lauded for his leadership abilities? I think the Niners were quite snake-bitten by how poorly their run defense performed over the last two seasons, and with a new Will linebacker in tow and a new defensive line in the making, they wanted to make sure their edge could actually set the edge in the running game. Mykel’s size, strength, and length would give him the edge over someone like Walker.

I said before that the Niners needed to draft guys with a short-term role and a long-term plan, and Mykel will start immediately. To be fair, our depth chart basically dictates that. But as Mykel develops his pass-rush ability, he should slide in quickly as a force against the run. That’s where he’s more developed, and that’s where he can make an impact right away while he figures everything else out.

Positional Flexibility: Walker got all the pub for his versatility on the Bulldogs, and rightfully so, but Mykel lined up everywhere from end to tackle to stand-up rusher at Georgia, and he has the size, length, and power to moonlight on the interior from time to time. To be clear, Mykel is absolutely an edge in our defense, but he has enough heft to do some inside passing down work and be employed on the twists and stunts that made former Niners Arden Key and Charles Omenihu extra useful in their time in the Bay. That gives us some flexibility when our defensive line desperately needs it and raises Williams’ floor a bit if he never becomes a truly dominant outside rusher. Arik Armstead was never an elite pass rusher, but he was an excellent overall defensive lineman in part because he could play the edge on base downs, rush the passer from the interior, and stop the run from both positions. Williams isn’t as big or as tall and long-levered as Armstead, but there’s some risk mitigation in that positional flexibility.

Upside: Of course, when you’re picking at 11 you want a guy with a legitimate ceiling, and Mykel has that. A former five-star recruit, Williams was a top 5 shoe-in heading into the season based on his size, traits, and trajectory, but that ascension was stalled by an ankle injury in the season opener. Later, it was revealed to be a grade 2 high ankle sprain. Williams missed two games before gutting out the rest of the season in great pain. While the toughness is commendable, you gotta wonder if the Bulldogs shoulda stepped in at some point and let him rest… nevertheless, there’s optimism that Williams’ 2024 tape–still good enough to get him drafted at 11–isn’t truly indicative of where his game is at now and is nowhere near where his game could wind up later.

It’s also worth mentioning the Bulldogs’ scheme and how they deployed Williams. Due to the positional versatility and size we mentioned earlier, as well as Georgia’s style of defense, Williams wasn’t allowed to pin his ears back and just one-gap rush the passer every down like the A&M or Ole Miss guys. And even when he was on the edge and asked to rush, he often lined up inside eye of the tackle, a naturally disadvantageous pass rushing alignment but one that let him muck up the edges in the run game. The Niners feel like they’re leaning more into twists and stunts this year and Mykel will certainly play some snaps inside, but getting to streamline and simplify his assignment from the wide 9 should pay dividends to his pass rush development.

We also at least saw his potential flash throughout his career, and it was often in the biggest games of the year. As a true freshman, he had 5 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a sack against Ohio State in the CFP semifinal. This year, on a bum ankle, he had 4 sacks in two games against Texas, destroying Kelvin Banks in their early-season matchup. 

Finally, it’s worth reiterating the fact that he’s 20 years old. He’s one of the youngest players in a draft that has a lot of sixth year seniors due to the COVID extension. He’s nearly four years younger than potential round 2 target DT Darius Alexander. He’s nearly five years younger than WR Nick Nash from San Jose State.

The sky is the limit, but there’s certainly work to be done. We’ve talked in the past about traits that players either develop or they don’t, like quarterback anticipation, linebacker instincts, and–in defensive linemen–a pass rush plan and the ability to smoothly sequence moves when plan A doesn’t work. These are the traits that so often separate good college players from legitimate pros. We don’t know if Williams can develop the moves and countermoves that he’ll need to succeed, and–unlike Shemar Stewart or Walter Nolen–he doesn’t have the elite first-step quickness to just get by with early wins if he doesn’t. But the length, strength, bend, and overall movement athleticism are there to be a top-end player. 

For now, I’ll leave you with this little video blurb on Mykel Williams from former NFL linemen Brian Baldinger:

.@49ers @MykelWilliams_ time to rebuild the DL; nothing like starting with a Dawg @GeorgiaFootball #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/4onUUgQJnA

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 25, 2025

ROUND 2

Defensive Tackle reigns supreme, and so does our need for it. Tyleik Williams was a favorite of mine at 43 but came off the board at 28 to the Lions. However, there are still several guys in that same tier who could be nice scheme and value fits at 43. Darius Alexander is the strong man, a still ascending talent with long arms and good power. TJ Sanders is the overlooked one, with the best polish of the three despite playing football for the shortest amount of time. Shemar Turner is the disruptor, a one-gap shooter with plenty of twitch and (for better and worse) combativeness. I’d be happy to add any of those three.

It is my heavy preference to go DT here given our need for multiple additions in this draft, but–if there’s a run on the position or we really wanna test the class’ depth (and our nerves)–there are a couple of other options that match value and need.

If we want to address linebacker, Carson Schwesinger is a great fit at a good value. I’ll also throw out a name that wasn’t on any of the write-ups, and that’s Nick Emmanwori. It’s a pure shot in the dark and seems unlikely, but we love converting safeties to linebackers, and what better safety to mold than the 6-3, 220-pound one who runs a 4.4 and already is at his best in the box? 

I’m still not convinced we want to take an offensive tackle this early, but Aireontae Ersery is the only one who makes sense if we do. Given the number of teams picking before us in the second, I’d be surprised if he’s actually on the board by the time we’re up.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning Will Johnson’s massive draft tumble. This is far more surprising than Shedeur Sanders’ fall, but it’s not hard to see why.  Whether it’s just bad timing and injuries or something else, he seemed to phone in too much of the year. That’s a red flag for teams. So is not running a 40-yard dash when you’re a bigger corner whose biggest question is deep speed. Still, the scheme fit and the potential are strong. Like tackle, it feels high for a cornerback, but Johnson’s slip could predicate a move on the position sooner rather than later. Then again, we might have someone like Shavon Revel Jr ranked higher than him… that said, Johnson likely goes in the first 5 picks of the second round.

As for who might actually be available when we pick at 43? Cleveland and Chicago both have two picks each. After adding Mason Graham and Maliek Collins this offseason, while still retaining Shelby Harris and last year’s second-rounder Michael Hall, the Browns are set at defensive tackle. That strikes two picks off the list who could snag one of our guys. Chicago spent two second-day picks on DTs just last year and could be in the market for Ersery—even though I’d guess Houston snags him first after shipping out Laremy Tunsil this off-season. You’d assume the Bears wouldn’t make it three second-day DTs in two years, but it’s a new regime and a deep class, so anything is in play. My guess is one of those picks goes running back to get ahead of the run, and the other is a wildcard. After passing up on Abdul Carter, the Titans feel like a landing spot for one of those slipping edges—either Mike Green or Donovan Ezeiruaku—but they could also swing on a guy like Luther Burden if they’re desperate to provide Ward weapons sooner rather than later. The Raiders or the Saints feel like great landing spots for Will Johnson, with the Saints and the Browns the most likely contenders for fellow draft-slipper Shedeur Sanders. Finally, the Pats went on a spending spree to address (or at least patch up) a lot of their major needs this off-season, but they could add talent anywhere—including along the OL despite just drafting Will Campbell.

Obviously, all this can quickly go to shit with the high number of trades that often go down at the top of the second. But it feels like—if we want it—one of those three defensive tackles. If not, don’t be shocked if we try to trade down.

ROUND 3

If we haven’t gotten a DT yet, this is it, and it’s tough to determine which of these guys may still be available. Omarr Norman-Lott is the most intriguing one of the bunch (and could be a dark horse in the second), but his market is hard to sus out. He’s a very scheme-specific evaluation, and if we think he can play heavy snaps and have a pulse against the run, he could easily slot in somewhere ahead of dudes higher on most boards. Jordan Burch is a defensive end, but is 6-4, 280 pounds. I don’t think the slide inside is expected at the moment, but he’s worth tossing on the list. Joshua Farmer is a guy who I don’t love as much in the second round (where he may wind up), but would be a fan of in the third. He’s got some two-gap ability along with pass rush potential, making him the only surefire two-way guy in this cluster. By the end of the round, Aeneas Peebles may have his name called. He’s a hyper-productive pass rusher but is vastly undersized. With all most of these guys, you’d kinda want to pair them with a bigger body on the interior. Perhaps Evan Anderson is that guy—and if not, there are plenty more dudes later in this draft who can do a DJ Jones impersonation—but this is why taking a DT in the second makes the board a bit clearer moving forward.

We could wait until the fourth, but we’ll at least strongly consider leaving this round with a starter caliber player at Will linebacker. Chris Paul Jr. is the big name to watch here, although Jeffrey Bassa could sneak into this round as well. I’d prefer to pick either at 100 versus 75, but we’ll see how the board shakes out. If we’re high enough on guys like Bassa and the “other” UCLA linebacker (Kain Medrano), kicking this need to the fourth could wind up prudent. Or it could dominate us ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

By the third round, it feels like we’re creeping into more likely offensive line territory. Charles Grant is my guy here, and I prefer him over Anthony Belton–a prospect whom the Niners spent one of their 30 official visits bringing into Santa Clara. Belton’s a mauler with FBS reps, but I worry about the movement skills. Marcus Mbow is another guy I just really like in general. He’s light and has short arms, so I don’t know if he sticks at tackle, but he’s a great athlete and a scheme fit somewhere along our offensive line. Given the fact that he’s unlikely to play right away and may not play outside, I’d prefer to wait until the fourth for him, but wherever Mbow winds up, he feels like a plus contributor. 

While waiting still makes a lot of sense, we’re also starting to get into potential corner territory. Quincy Riley is someone we’ve done our homework on, and–despite his suspect zone chops and tackling–is a guy who physically resembles what we want in an outside cover corner. Darien Porter is the insane size-speed upside swing. His game is almost all projection, but the size, athleticism, and ball skills are bonkers. I think it’s more likely we take a scrappy, smaller dude who can play immediately like Jacob Parrish, but Porter is worth noting nonetheless.

This is also the first time that I would personally consider adding an offensive weapon. Of the guys available, TE/H-back Harold Fannin Jr. intrigues me because his weirdness and versatility may mesh perfectly with our weirdness and versatility. If there’s a position that the Niners can use better than most, it’s that kind of guy. Kyle Williams is my favorite YAC wideout who you can actually see becoming a well-rounded wideout down the road. Deebo may be gone but I still think we’re at our best when we have someone who terrifies defenses every time we run a slant route. But if our move in the receiver room is to go “big dudes who play traditional wideout,” Elic Ayomanor could be in play.

GOAL

With defensive end solidified, we need to add a starting defensive tackle by the end of day. While I think we’re internally quite high on Evan Anderson, adding two isn’t out of the question. In addition to DT, it would be nice to address at least one of our other pressing needs before the day is done, whether it’s a starting Will LB, a developmental OT, or a starting inside or outside cornerback. Coming away with three of our biggest needs addressed would make for an excellent first two days of the draft, with plenty of ammo and flexibility on the third day to fill our remaining roster holes.

Go Niners 🏈👍

Mock Draft Multiverse

In a vacuum, a mock draft is relatively useless. There are too many variables at play, too many trades to predict (even if most happen in the latter rounds), and too little knowledge of how each of these prospects is wired to make proper predictions. But in the aggregate, mock drafts are a useful tool for examining teams’ potential thought processes.

So, with the draft just a few days away, I did five mock drafts of five hypothetical scenarios in hopes of examining both the variance that comes with the draft and the constants that we can (theoretically) rely on. Granted, these “constants” are based hugely (if not entirely) on my own personal biases, how I see this draft class, and how I expect the Niners to (roughly) act. I have a decent track record on prospect assessment, but when it comes to predicting the Niners’ actual draft decisions? Shit. I’m just as dart-throwy as the next guy. This is more of a thought exercise.

THE THOUGHT PROCESS

I wanted each of these mock drafts to come from some shred of reason, which meant narrowing down candidates at pick 11 and going from there. I tossed around a lot of names during the first round preview, so now to cull the herd.

First off, I don’t think we’re taking a cornerback. I just don’t believe that’s how Lynch and Shanahan want to build this roster, particularly with the glaring holes we have in the trenches. Renardo Green (pick 64) is the highest we’ve taken a corner, and that was when we had far fewer roster holes. Typically, this is a position we address in the later rounds because we believe we can get startable production through scheme fits. So that eliminates Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron.

The Niners put more capital into the defensive line than anywhere else, so there’s certainly a chance we go defensive tackle at 11. But unless Mason Graham somehow slips, I don’t know if the value makes sense. Each of the other first-round graded DTs (Kenneth Grant, Walter Nolen, Derrick Harmon) has a chance of slipping into the second round, and that round is already loaded at the position. If we trade down, a defensive tackle seems highly plausible (mock draft #4), but at 11, I’m leaning away from it because of how much value there is later on.

Tight end is a luxury pick, but Tyler Warren is still a wildcard. I wouldn’t guess we pick him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we do. Thus, he gets his own mock draft (#3).

The Niners spent a big chunk of last summer telling us how good they were along the offensive line and how little sense it made to invest major capital on the position… so 11 feels high for an offensive tackle. But we’ve been doing our homework on the position, and I think there’s a shot. Membou’s a scheme fit, and his athletic profile would be hard to turn down if he falls, but that’s unlikely. I don’t know how they have these first-round(ish) guys ranked, but—if his medicals checked out on his visit—don’t be surprised if Josh Simmons is a wildcard. So, mock draft #2 will include a first-round tackle.

By now, you can probably guess where I’m going with our first pick. We know the Niners value defensive linemen. We know they desperately need a pass rusher to pair opposite Bosa. If we stick at 11, I think our most likely pick is at defensive end. Realistically, there are three to choose from.

I like Jalon Walker the prospect, but I don’t love Jalon Walker the fit. Fresh off a year of being gouged on the ground, I think the Niners will be scared of his lack of size on the edge. I also think he’s the most likely of these three to get drafted in the top ten, probably by a 3-4 team that can play him in a hybrid role. 

That means we’re down to two: Shemar Stewart and Mykel Williams. Neither was particularly productive in college. Both are developmental projects with traits over skill. Mykel has more production and a bit more polish, plus the excuse of an ankle injury he played on through the 2024 season, but Shemar has the better pure traits. In fact, those traits are exceptional. If I had to guess, I’d say we lean Stewart because we love betting on traits and banking on Kocurek to coach ‘em up. But I wouldn’t be shocked if we go either way. And there’s honestly a world where someone snipes us for Stewart before we’re even on the board. Regardless, mock draft #1 will include a defensive end in the first round.

Am I in love with drafting a boom-bust project at 11? Not really. But I’m onboard. Edge rushers aren’t like quarterbacks. You don’t have to be crazy productive in college to get there as a pro. Odafe Oweh (1st Rd, 2021) had zero sacks in his last year in college. Clay Matthews (1st RD, 2009) had 5.5 across four years. Danielle Hunter (3rd, 2015) had 4.5 (same as Stewart). All of those guys became high-level pass rushers in the NFL. And while there are plenty of other toolsy prospects who never put it together in the pros, a raw edge becoming a dominant pass rusher is more common than you think.

#1: Back to Basics

IMO, our most likely first-round pick

The closest thing we’ve got to a meme draft, we spend our first three picks (and five overall) on defensive linemen and 7 of 11 on defense. At the bottom of the third, we’re able to secure our tackle of the future in Charles Grant—a small school prospect I’m quite high on—followed shortly by a potential immediate starter at linebacker in Chris Paul Jr. There are a handful of linebacker prospects in this class who seem like good fits and a few who seem like excellent fits. Paul is the latter. Brashard Smith’s wheels and his background as a receiver intrigue me. If you’re adding an RB3, might as well pick one who has some gadget ability and positional flexibility for when the rest of the room is healthy. Corner is pushed down to the fifth round, but that’s kinda what we do (DJ Reed, Sam Womack, DeMo, Darrell Luter), and there’s a good chunk of value/scheme fit in that region.

#2: A Real Live Offensive Tackle

If he knocks his interview (and medicals) out of the park, there’s a chance.

A first-round pick at OT naturally makes this draft a bit more offensive-leaning, but it’s still mostly a defensive affair. The turns at the top of the second and third continue to be ripe with defensive linemen, and we add two upside plays in Senior Bowl and workout warrior Darius Alexander and the raw but rapidly ascending Oluwafemi Oladejo—whose market is murky but I like quite a bit.

Harold Fannin Jr. is our chess piece addition. He feels like a weapon as a move tight end and—eventually—heir apparent at fullback, but how many snaps he can garner this year is a big TBD. In the fifth, we tap the ripe DT market with a super productive pass rusher in Jared Harrison-Hunte. If he can develop into a full-timer, that’s icing on the cake, but his pass rush ability alone is valuable this late.

#3: F*ck It, Tyler Warren

Can Shanahan help himself? In this case, he cannot.

Drafting a tight end early when you already have an All-Pro on roster and tons of other needs is the closest real-life drafting gets to fantasy football. When you pull the trigger on that elite early-round TE early in fantasy, you inevitably spend the rest of the draft scrambling to fill flex spots and make up for the depth you lost by taking a luxury pick early. That’s what we’re looking at here.

However, it’s worth noting that this draft still looks pretty good, in large part because we follow the tight end pick at the top with a very “meat and potatoes” approach through the rest of the draft. Linemen. Linebackers. The less cute we get, the more we can tap the heart of this draft class (even if we get VERY cute in the first round). That’s an important lesson across all these mock drafts.

Chase Lundt’s got the wheels to play in our system, but that OT spot could just as easily go to Grant, Logan Brown, or even Anthony Belton—who I don’t adore as a fit but is someone we brought in for an official visit. The tight end pick early puts us a bit behind the eight ball in filling out our DL, so we take Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, knowing we can play him somewhere. We take a swing on the world’s skinniest legitimate draft prospect in Tez Johnson, hoping we can—at worst—use him like a taller, more talented Tutu Atwell in the slot and by spamming him in motion.

#4: Small Trade Down

A trade down six spots lets us fill our biggest need at better value than if we’d taken him at 11

Doesn’t take long to see the value we’ve gained from trading down. I went off script a bit with a corner earlier and a linebacker later than usual and threw in a third-round wideout to boot. But the extra capital not only lets us add another starter(ish) talent in the third but gives us greater flexibility to hop around and target specific players in the later rounds.

If you like the mental makeup and how he’s wired, Walter Nolen is an amazing fit for our scheme. 11 is earlier than ideal, but in a class with so little consensus, I think some teams are higher on him than his rankings may indicate. 17 could be just right.

Deebo’s departure means we don’t have an easy outlet to force-feed slants when teams go zone. Kyle Williams could shred in that role, take the top off defenses, and shows enough actual receiver skills to hope he can become a well-rounded receiver down the road. That’s a tough combination to find in the middle rounds.

While there are tons of big corners in this draft, Jacob Parrish may fit what we like better nowadays. Smaller but scrappy and versatile. We bookend two smaller DTs with two large ends and address linebacker later than usual with Kain Medrano. His tape is sloppy because of all the missed tackles, but his speed and instincts are a great foundation for Johnny Holland to work with. No running back taken in this mock, but we’ll add one or two as UDFAs.

#5: Big Trade Down

We take a big hop down for an additional pick in the second

Got cute with a couple of prospects just to show the depth and variety of players who exist in different positional tiers around our draft slots. The major addition from past mocks is Carson Schwesinger, who is probably the best linebacker in this draft who fits our defense. It’s a touch high for the position, but we had an extra second from the trade down.

Quincy Riley is an interesting add here because his profile fits more of a man coverage corner, but we’re clearly intrigued by his plus athleticism and ball skills. It's a bit of a swing, but certainly one that could pay off if we mix in more man coverage moving forward. Jackson Slater is a plus athlete who needs some work but could eventually start at a guard or unseat Brendel. A boy can dream…

TRADE DOMINOS

While on the subject of trades and fluidly changing draft landscapes, I wanted to make a little cheatsheet on which prospects available at 11 could entice the interest of which teams. At the very least, it’ll give us some rooting interest in the top ten as prospects come off the board.

RB, Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: A unanimous top 5 player and RB1 who everyone loves, with demand driven by the fact that we pick right before a Dallas team in desperate need of a running back, Jeanty could have multiple suitors. Denver—one of the few teams snooping for a move up—seems most likely, with the Steelers another possibility.

OT/OG, Will Campbell, LSU: With a major need in the trenches and a two-spot move up that would only cost them a fourth rounder, the Dolphins could come knocking. They probably care less which position Campbell sticks at, given their need and the fact that he’s a great fit for what they do offensively. Kelvin Banks is another tackle to watch here because it feels like his valuation fluctuates wildly from team to team.

TE, Tyler Warren, Penn State: The Colts are the most obvious pairing here. They desperately need a more well-rounded weapon in their passing game and a security blanket to protect their investment at QB. Don’t count out the Chargers, but it’s a big move up, and they may be targeting former Harbaugh acolyte Colston Loveland later in the first.

High-upside DE: Most teams kinda need defensive line help, but the Falcons (15), Cardinals (16), and Bengals (17) pick back-to-back-to-back just a few slots behind us, and each team could point to edge rusher as their biggest need. Don’t be shocked if someone wants to make a jump to secure their pick of the litter.

FINAL TAKEAWAYS

None of these drafts is perfect. I purposefully tried to mix and match players I love with others I just like. I avoided any big lucky breaks, both the unrealistic ones (Mason Graham at 11?) and those more grounded in reality (one of those first-round DTs falling into the second), in hopes of presenting bits and pieces of highly plausible potential outcomes. No sense in blue balls for the sake of blue balls. Better to be pleasantly surprised than set up for disappointment.

But what are my hopefully real takeaways from these undoubtedly fake mock drafts?

1. Draft for Value and Don’t Reach: This should be applicable for every year, but obviously that hasn’t always been the case for us (3rd round kicker fuuuuuu). Just too much value and depth at the critical DL positions to make rash decisions early when you can wait and get paid off down the road.

2. D-Line will dictate the second day (and arguably the first): This shouldn’t be surprising as it’s our biggest need, the position group we want to spend the most capital on, AND the deepest position group in this class. And given our immense need at both tackle and edge, picking a dude early and getting the need out of the way won’t preclude us from tapping the class again later in the draft.

3. But that does NOT mean we need to take a DT first: Biggest need + deepest position group can easily lead to some fuzzy math and the belief that we have to slam a DT in the first round. That could be the right value with a trade down from 11, but the depth of this class and the uncertainty of the size and cutoff points of that 2nd/3rd tier of tackles mean there should be plenty of value in waiting.

4. Save the speculative skill swings for later: There are a few offensive skill players I can get behind taking in the third round (preferably after a trade down nets us an additional third), but anyone we take that high better have a clear immediate function AND a long-term plan. This is not “luxury pick” time.

5. Wait on a cornerback: It’s somewhat ironic that the Niners seem to have settled on a “type” at cornerback—scrappy guys who don’t need to be that big—just in time for a more traditional crop of large zone corners to arrive in this draft class. Regardless, we believe our scheme allows us to find above average play at the position on the cheap. A team that prioritizes running backs and tight ends needs to offset that by pushing a premium position or two further down the pecking order. This is a good year to stick to that and add starting competition late.

This wraps up the draft preview series! Depending on my schedule, I’ll try to push something small out on Thursday night and/or Friday night to recap the day and look at the rounds ahead. Hope you enjoyed reading, and, of course…

Go Niners 🏈👍

2025 Draft: Everybody Else

With all our biggest needs previously examined, part VII of our draft preview series looks at a smattering of other prospects who could be in our crosshairs. Asterisks (*) by names mark some of my favorite prospect/scheme fits.

Wide receiver. Running back. Interior OL depth. These aren’t pressing needs, but they’re all positions we could theoretically draft later this week. Thus, they get thrown in this last-second grab bag of prospects.

Unlike the position-specific write-ups, I’m just going to skip the first round, second round, etc. designations and simply cluster everyone into positional archetypes of varying specificity.

RUNNING BACKS

While CMC and Guerendo make up the foundation of a great backfield, the pantry is all but empty behind them. Given Shanahan’s unabashed love for drafting running backs plus the fact that we’ve had to deploy our RB4 or worse in all but two seasons of the eight year ShanaLynch run, you can bet your ass we’re drafting someone from one of the better running back classes in years. But how patient will we be?

IF WE HAVE TO DRAFT A BACK IN THE THIRD ROUND, AT LEAST THESE GUYS WOULD BE OF GOOD VALUE: I’m not saying we’re gonna. And I’m certainly not saying we should. I’m just saying it would be neglectful not to mention it given our draft history.

Despite facing as many loaded boxes as anyone (Hawkeyes offense, ladies and gentlemen), Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) has tape that looks like a Pee Wee highlight reel. With his decisiveness and one-cut running ability, he rips huge gain after huge gain and uses his big 6-1, 224-pound frame to power through arm tackles as he breaks into the open field. He’s not an open field shake-and-bake guy, but he’s a crease finder with the build of a bruiser. As a runner, he’s a near-perfect fit for our scheme, but he’d need to improve his pass blocking to secure third-down work. (2nd)

A nimble glider with great top-end speed, Dylan Sampson (Tennessee) sifts and glides through traffic before busting into the open field and breaking angles with his speed. His little jukes, sidesteps, and set-ups create a lot of hidden (and not so hidden) yardage, and while his receiving ability is untested, he’s got nice potential in the department. Size will always be a concern, and ball security and pass pro need improvement, but the playstyle fits. (2nd-3rd)

STRETCH SAVANTS: Some of these guys give one-trick pony energy, but all of them excel at our favorite run concept and have speed to break chunk plays on the ground.

A patient runner with tremendous decisiveness and “make you miss in a phone booth” ability both in space and through the hole, *RJ Harvey (UCF) is a big-play runner due to his burst and elusiveness–even if his top end speed is only average for a player of his rather small (5-8, 205 lbs.) frame. He shows nice promise as a receiver, but would need to improve vastly in pass production to garner third-down duties. (3rd-4th)

With testing numbers (4.32 forty, 40.5” vert) that match his impressive athleticism on tape, *Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) is a homerun hitter who needs to get better at ripping singles. While far from a big guy (5-9, 206 lbs.), Tuten shows strong contact balance and leg churn to slip by tacklers, and is dangerous on any outside run. On inside runs? He doesn’t lack in toughness, but his vision is… a work in progress. Ball security and pass pro are weaknesses that could land him in doghouses, but his upside as a receiving threat is worth noting if he can muster the reps. (3rd-4th)

An absolute rocket out of the backfield who combines elite speed with an uncanny ability to make sharp cuts at full throttle, *Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Arizona) is a homerun waiting to happen, but a bit of a chaos agent in how often he hunts said home runs. He’s cut happy–something Bobby Turner will have to grind out of him–with lots of ups and downs and inefficiency in his game. But his potential in this offense is tantalizing. He only played one game this year due to eligibility issues, so interviews will be critical. But if he checks out mentally, he could be a damn interesting dice roll. (5th-6th)

An undersized but speedy stretch and outside zone specialist, *Marcus Yarns (Delaware) doesn’t have the size, power, or contact balance of a full-time player, but his big-play speed and ability in the passing game make for an intriguing change of pace back. (7th) 

JEFF WILSON IMPERSONATORS: With Wilson and Mason gone, we’re sorely missing a “battering ram with soft hands” type of presence in the backfield. Although realistically, this is more the type of player we add in UDFA than spend a pick on.

Eclipsing 1,000 yards for three straight seasons for the Jayhawks, Devin Neal (Kansas) isn’t a throwback punishing power back, but his knack for setting up bad tackling angles and his burst through the hole let him consistently grind out extra yardage. He lacks long speed for the big gain and needs to improve his pass pro a bit to stick on third downs, but he’s a natural as a receiver and runner, giving him great reserve versatility. (4th)

While he won’t win any foot races or bowl people over, Kyle Monangai (Rutgers) is a hard-charging runner who is disciplined in his reads and tempos his runs to get the most out of what’s given. He’s a dependable asset in the interior run game, but isn’t really a receiving threat at this point in his career. (4th-5th)

RECEIVER FIRST: With CMC and Isaac G heading our backfield, we are fully committed to running backs who are weapons out of the backfield. These guys have varying degrees of effectiveness as actual runners, but they can all make a difference as receivers.

DJ Giddens (Kansas State) isn’t super explosive, nor does he run with as much power as his 212-pound frame would suggest. But he is way shiftier in tight quarters than he has any right to be, and that-combined with his downfield receiving ability–make for an intriguing combination. (3rd-4th)

As one of only two running backs to total 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards this season, LeQuint Allen (Syracuse) has quick feet, good patience, and nice vision to squeeze through holes without losing steam. He’s not a burner, a brawler, or a make-you-miss type, but he runs downhill with good effort and is an absolute weapon in the passing game. (4th-5th)  

A former Miami receiver who didn’t convert to running back until this year, *Brashard Smith (SMU) understandably has some technique, patience, and vision issues to address, but he’s a homerun hitter of an athlete with terrific body control and his ability as a receiver–not only out of the backfield but in running routes downfield–is sure to entice our staff. (4th-5th)

While his career never really blossomed as planned after his breakout game against Ohio State back in 2022, Donovan Edwards (Michigan) is a good athlete and a talented receiver who was underutilized in the passing game in college. His patience, vision, and contact balance all contributed to his scattershot performances and underwhelming overall stat line, but his receiving ability is an NFL trait. (6th-7th)

WIDE RECEIVERS

While we’ve spammed versatile hybrid YAC types in the past, it’s debatable what we’re looking for in the post-Deebo/man coverage era. I’m expecting our offense to look a bit different next year, I’m just not quite sure how. So I’m including receivers who fit multiple different archetypes below.

SO YOU WANT ANOTHER DEEBO? These are YAC dominant types who are at their best with the ball in their hands, but their ability to get open in the first place varies tremendously.

With a 7.3 YAC average on his career, Luther Burden III (Missouri) has been so good at generating yardage with the ball in his hands that the Tigers have spent his whole career just feeding him on underneath routes and screens. That’s been great to showcase his athleticism and ability in the open field, but it hasn’t helped his route running, which is very much a work in progress. But the ceiling is there for a complete WR1. (1st-2nd) 

Despite his thoroughly triggering name, *Kyle Williams (Washington State) absolutely rips with the ball in his hands, with elite burst and speed and the natural ability to turn upfield for massive gains when he gets a window. His route running needs work, and his hands will likely never be great, but his slippery ability versus press and his excellent deep ball skills give him three S (slant, screen, streak) ability now with the potential for a more complete game down the road. (3rd)

A physically impressive but thoroughly raw size-speed athlete, Savion Williams (TCU) pairs impressive size (6-4, 222 lbs.) with freaky athletic traits and high-level gadget ability. His flashes of downfield ball adjustment and contested catches point to a potential ceiling higher than the Cordarelle Patterson vibes he’s currently giving off, but his receiver skills–versus his “just being an athlete” skills–are underdeveloped. (3rd-4th)

An absolute beanpole (5-10, 154 lbs.) whose lack of bulk is largely unprecedented, *Tez Johnson (Oregon) is a lightning rod whose top-end speed and ability to cut and accelerate on a dime make him impossible to corral once he gets a step in space. He has room to improve technically, and the size and strength concerns are genuine, but he feels like–at worst–an explosive gadget player and vertical threat. (4th)

With a freaky combination of athleticism (4.40 forty, 38” vert), build (6-4, 218 lbs.), and length (34 ½” arms), Isaiah Neyor (Nebraska) has had flashes of brilliance broken up by two season-ending knee injuries and a whole lot of technical work to improve upon. He is absolutely a traits over production guy who will need to assert himself on special teams to stick around long enough to develop them. (6th)

A massively undersized (5-8, 174 lbs.) speed merchant with homerun speed both vertically and on quick hitters underneath, Jimmy Horn Jr. (Colorado) really should have had better production in college, but he has gadget player and return man potential. (6th-7th)

SO YOU DON’T WANT ANOTHER DEEBO? These guys are more along the lines of the Brandon Aiyuk-to-Jauan Jennings spectrum. Receivers through and through with the size and skill to line up–mostly–at the X. 

A long and athletic jumbo wideout (6-4, 214 lbs.) with smooth athleticism in and out of his routes and great fluidity tracking the ball, Jayden Higgins (Iowa State) is an ascending X who isn’t particularly sudden or fast but can win on all three levels as a possession receiver. (2nd)

He won’t be taking the top off of NFL defenses anytime soon, but what Jack Bech (TCU) lacks in top-end speed and burst, he makes up for in savvy, strength, and an elite ability to track the ball down the field and secure it in traffic. These kinds of receivers need to dominate press to become more than WR3s, and–in that regard–Bech has work to do. But if he can figure it out, he’s got shades of Puka Nacua in his gritty inside-out ability. (2nd-3rd)

While not as technically sound or polished as other prospects in this draft range, Elic Ayomanor (Stanford) is a big, physical, and athletic prospect who showed flashes of dominance (294 yards in a comeback over Colorado–with a lot of it over Travis Hunter) despite playing in a dumpster fire of a passing attack. There’s projection, but the traits are appealing and the mindset, which includes top-tier run blocking, is intriguing. (2nd-3rd)

Just the fourth player in FBS history to accomplish the receiving triple crown–leading the country in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns–Nick Nash (San Jose State) entered college as a dual-threat quarterback and leaves as a massively productive catch point maven. His speed and short-area quickness are lacking, and his route running–naturally–still needs refining. He’s also one of the oldest prospects in the class–as he’ll be turning 26 this summer. But he feels like a player who will carve out a lengthy career as a big slot. (5th)

A skilled but athletically capped prospect with good size, savvy, and some inside-out versatility, Pat Bryant (Illinois) has a clear ceiling and lacks separation ability, but he’s got the toughness and technical expertise to carve out a role as a possession WR3. (5th)

3RD DAY INTERIOR OL

Cause I don’t expect us to take one earlier than that.

C, Drew Kendall (Boston College) is a fluid athlete and three-year starter who lacks the mass of a mauler. (4th)

*C/G, Jackson Slater (Sac State) is an impressive athlete with good power who thrives in the outside zone but will need some technical clean-up to get there. (4th-5th)

G, Bryce Kabeldue (Kansas) could give us back-to-back converted Jayhawk tackles at guard. He’s got good quickness, plus movement skills, and heavy hands. (5th)

C/G, Joshua Gray (Oregon State) is a lean and intelligent four-and-a-half year starter with zone/stretch athleticism who is severely lacking in bulk. (5th-6th)

G, Clay Webb (Jacksonville State) is well-versed in outside zone from playing under Rich Rod, but his strength is his calling card. (6th)

*C/G, Jonah Monheim (USC) has plus quickness and has started games at 4 of 5 OL positions, but is limited by his super short arms. (6th)

C/G, Eli Cox (Kentucky) is a six-year player with plus athleticism and a lack of ideal power. (6th)

G/C, Aiden Williams (Minnesota-Duluth) is a former tight end and former tackle with developmental athletic traits if he can make another move inside. (UDFA)

3RD DAY SAFETIES

Think we’re happy enough at this position, so anyone we add better be able to play specials.

Jaylen Reed (Penn State) is a plus athlete with excellent aggressiveness, but his missed tackles may remind us a bit too much of Ji’Ayir Brown. (4th)

Dante Trader Jr. (Maryland) isn’t the biggest or the fastest but he’s a good short-area athlete who triggers quick downhill. (4th-5th)

Dan Jackson (Georgia) triggers quick and plays fast when he can move forward, but he’s a bit out of control, and you worry about his deep coverage ability. Special teams value. (5th-6th)

Craig Woodson (California) is smart, well-rounded, and a good athlete. He doesn’t shine in any particular category, but he also won’t make you pull your hair out. Boring isn’t always bad at safety. (6th)

Rayuan Lane III (Navy) has good vision, smarts, and fluid athleticism, but needs to improve open field tackling. Special teams value. (6th)

Kitan Crawford (Nevada) has NFL speed and athleticism but is still new to the position and will need reps and development. Special teams value. (7th) 

BLIND GUESS

Drafting a running back is all but a certainty; we just have to hope we can wait until at least the fourth round to do it. The Deebo departure and the Aiyuk situation make me think we’ll probably add a wideout somewhere as well, perhaps with one of those fifth-round picks, but that’s not a certainty. Finally, don’t be shocked if we address either position as early as the third. We have a bad habit of taking those skill guys earlier than we should, but—in this case—there are at least some intriguing value plays around that area.

Depending on how many of our late-round picks we wind up keeping, a developmental player on the interior OL seems likely, as Ben Bartch, Nick Zakelj, and Spencer Burford (more of a swing tackle now) are all on the last year of their respective contracts. I have a hard time believing we’ll roster five safeties, but a developmental add with special teams ability to push one of the vets could be picked late in the draft.

Go Niners 🏈👍

2025 Draft: Cornerbacks

Part VI of our draft preview series looks at cornerbacks, both inside or out (although mostly out). Per usual, any number before a player dictates their “consensus big board” ranking. Asterisks (*) by names mark some of my favorite prospect/scheme fits.

Full disclosure, I kinda hate looking at DBs without coaches’ film. And even I can’t neglect my actual writing career to the point where I’m watching All-22 cutups of college guys we haven’t even drafted. But after skimming over this year’s crop of cornerbacks, I came away pleasantly surprised by how many guys fit our system. It’s not a loaded class, but it’s a class with multiple prospects whose weaknesses are hidden and strengths amplified by our scheme.

THE SKILLSET

In an ideal world, our outside corners are long, physical, and can excel in both press coverage and the deep zone work we lean so heavily on. Our linebackers drop deep enough and our pass rush is (theoretically) potent enough that our corners can play a top-down shell, making sure not to get beat vertically outside the hashes while driving and rallying to everything underneath.

But the era of the super big but not particularly athletic Seattle 3 boundary corner is long gone. While Charvarius Ward (6-1, nearly 200 pounds) is closer to the prototype, Renardo Green and DeMo aren’t nearly as big, but they make up for it in quickness and feistiness. We’d still prefer the smaller passing windows that a bigger, longer corner can generate, but we’re less dogmatic about it than when Shanahan and Lynch initially took over. This is a funky class because there are so many longer but slower types, but don’t be shocked if we go the other direction based on the success of our current duo.

THE NEED

Two of our three starting corners are young, ascending, and locked up on multi-year deals, but—at the moment—the third starter is anyone’s guess. Due to DeMo’s versatility, we could feasibly add an outside corner and slide Lenoir into the nickel or add a nickel and keep Lenoir outside. My guess would be we’d prefer to draft an outside body so we can add a little size for certain matchups, but either position is a viable target.

FIRST ROUND

Just a reminder, if you’re looking for descriptions of players we may pick at 11, you wanna check out the 1st round preview.

7. Will Johnson, Michigan
13. Jahdae Barron, Texas

SECOND ROUND

34. Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
5-11, 183 lbs.
Testing wonder with an aggressive demeanor and press-man/zone versatility

With good length and a feisty (see: sometimes penalized) demeanor, Hairston is a nice fit in a zone-heavy scheme like ours that also rolls up and presses receivers. Given how he blew up the combine (4.28 forty, 39.5” vert), it should be no surprise that Hairston is a high-level athlete, but–somewhat paradoxically–he can struggle when he has to turn and run with receivers down the field. It could be a tracking issue or maybe he’s just less explosive than his unreal testing numbers. That said, he’s an easy and fluid mover who excels when he can get up in receivers’ faces or sit in zone and play forward–two things we like to do. Strength will be an issue, and he needs to vastly improve his tackling and overall run defense, but the tools are there.

36. Trey Amos, Ole Miss
6-1, 195 lbs.
Long-limbed and quick-footed press corner who excels at shutting down passing lanes

Long and strong with excellent press technique, Amos is quick-footed, physical, and forced more incompletions than any other corner in this draft class. He’s not super fast or explosive, which–when combined with some issues/hesitancy at the top of the route–can get him into trouble in off-man, but when he’s in zone and press (the two things we do), he’s much more comfortable and disruptive. His physicality also doesn’t translate consistently to the running game, which is something he’d have to shore up quick to play for us.

38. Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
6-1.5, 197 lbs.
Physical jumbo corner with good body control but questions over his burst and speed

A pure outside corner with ideal size and length who uses every inch of it as a physical presence in press-man coverage, Thomas has the traditional build of an outside corner in our defense–even if we’ve moved far away from it in recent years–and his body control and physicality are apparent off the snap and in the run game. But there are questions with his athleticism–both in terms of burst and top-end speed–and how much his size and length can overcome those issues in the NFL will determine his pro trajectory. While he needs to get better at his zone recognition, he feels like a player whose best fit is in a press and zone defense like ours, but the athleticism questions remain.

*48. Shavon Revel, Jr., East Carolina
6-2, 194 lbs.
Big, high-upside prospect whose meteoric rise was cut short by an ACL injury

A rapidly ascending player who seemed destined for a first-round grade before tearing his ACL early in his senior season, Revel is long, super athletic, and has a mentality that is certain to appeal to the Niners. He was a JuCo player working at an Amazon warehouse with his dad before securing a scholarship at ECU during a walk-in camp and has been on a rocket’s pace upwards ever since. He’s a little leggy in his movements and has technique work to improve upon throughout his game, but in 2023–his only full year as a starter–he was second in the country with a 26% forced incompletion rate. In the three games he started in 2024 before getting hurt, he was allowing only a 38% completion rate. While injuries are a concern and he’s a bit rough around the edges, he seems like the rare cornerback prospect with great size and athleticism who can be found outside the first round.

51. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
6-0, 193 lbs.
Savvy and versatile pass disruptor with smooth athleticism and an alarming number of hip surgeries

Big-play hunter with excellent ball production (9 picks and 18 pass breakups in 26 starts) and scheme-averse instincts and athleticism, Morrison was flirting with the first-round before a hip injury caused him to miss the last ten games of the season. Smoother than he is fast, his top-end speed is a question that he won’t be able to answer pre-draft given his injury recovery, and he sometimes gives up too much separation on underneath routes, but he’s a smart dude who consistently makes plays on the ball. Due to the nature of his injuries (two hip surgeries), medicals will be hugely important.

THIRD ROUND

*74. Darien Porter, Iowa State
6-3, 195 lbs.
Insane size-speed project who may not contribute right away but has limitless potential

There are zero questions about Porter’s athleticism. Among all participants at the combine, his forty-yard dash (4.30) was the third best and his short shuttle (4.04) and three-cone (6.71) were the second-best. And this was at 6-3 and nearly 200 pounds. For reference, Tez Johnson, the only guy who beat him in the three-cone drill, is 5-10 and 154 pounds. As a converted receiver, he has excellent ball skills and absurd length (33 ⅛” arms), and is at his best in a zone scheme where he can drive downhill on the ball. He needs to add considerable strength and–despite being a sixth-year player, albeit at receiver until 2022–is still quite raw in most areas, but his ceiling for a press and zone corner is as high as it gets. And until he (hopefully) gets there, he’s a ready-made special team stud–having blocked five kicks in college. These are the sorta guys who we’ve largely neglected over the years while we were right on the cusp of a Super Bowl. But if the goal is to take a temporary step back, retool, and actually play young dudes who need seasoning and developing, there are worse swings than Porter.

*86. Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
5-10, 191 lbs.
Undersized but scrappy nickel corner with inside/out flexibility

Despite lining up primarily outside in college, Parrish’s 99th percentile slot coverage PFF ranking and lack of size and length could push him inside in the NFL. A quick and fluid athlete with solid deep speed, he may be able to join our ranks of feisty, smaller corners with inside/out versatility, but his lack of size can show up in the run game and at the top of routes, where he can get muscled around and grabby.

DAY 3

A few selects from rounds 4 through 7, separated by guys who project more on the outside vs the inside.

OUTSIDE CORNERS: In this year in particular, a lot of these guys are tall, and a lot of those tall guys have questions about their deep speed.

A press man specialist with a knack for finding the football (15 career interceptions), Quincy Riley (Louisville) is a plus athlete with great top-end speed who is sticky and disruptive through the route. His overall playmaking stats are outstanding (54 career pass deflections, 403 career interception return yards), but his lack of play strength and poor tackling are worrisome. And while he has the press man side of things down, he’d need to improve his vision and awareness in zone to thrive in our system. (3rd-4th)

With 14 career picks and an FBS-leading 7 last season, Nohl Williams (Cal) pairs a big frame (6-0, 199 lbs.) with elite ball skills, good instincts and awareness, and a physical demeanor that shows up both in press and when filling against the run. There are major questions about his athleticism–from top speed to burst and quickness–so he may need to hit some internal athletics thresholds to stick on our board, but if he does, his profile and experience in press, cover 3, and quarters would mesh well with what we do. (3rd-4th)

Another taller corner (6-1, 185 lbs.) with questions about his speed and burst, Dorian Strong (Virginia Tech) is a savvy zone and press corner with good eyes and compete skills through the route and the catch point. While his 2024 production dipped a bit, he allowed an 11.8 QB rating a year ago, making for a potentially nice value add if he can clean up his consistency issues from this season. (4th)

Yet ANOTHER taller corner with limited foot speed, *Zy Alexander (LSU) needs to get better at the LOS in press coverage so he doesn’t get caught in footraces downfield, but he’s a long smooth mover with great ball skills, clean play (0 penalties this year), and consistently strong tackling. He’s not for every scheme, but if he can improve his press technique, he could overachieve in our Cover 3 heavy defense. (5th)

At 6-3, 186 pounds with nearly 33” arms and a laser-timed 4.36 forty, it’s easy to see the upside of Zah Frazier (UTSA). He’s a bit of a rail and an upright long-strider, which can hurt him against quicker receivers, and he only started one year despite being an older prospect at a lower level. To be fair, that one year featured 15 pass deflections and 6 interceptions, but there’s a lot of technique and consistency work for Frazier to scratch the surface of his considerable potential. (5th-6th)

An absolute rail thin (6-0, 180 lbs.) corner with limited top end speed, *Cobee Bryant (Kansas) lives up to his namesake with a competitive and feisty mentality that belies his slender frame. Granted, he still has strength and mass concerns, and sometimes his physical demeanor can lead to penalties (18 over his career), but he’s got great zone eyes and reaction speed with a receiver-like ability to fight for and come down with the football. He needs to clean up his technique so as not to get muscled around, but you gotta like the ballhawking ability and mindset that he plays with. (6th)

Physically impressive (6-2, 187 lbs.) with good length, physicality at the line, and adquate athleticism, BJ Adams (UCF) is a little wild in his technique and more of a sloppy blocker than a real disruptor with the ball in the air. But his size, innate coverage ability, and special teams impact make for a decent floor for a developmental prospect. (6th-7th)

The Jayhawks’ other outside corner, Mello Dotson (Kansas) isn’t as scrappy as his former teammate and is probably a lesser athlete with questionable long speed. But he’s got good size, a natural feel for coverage, and uses his length to generate consistent ball production (27 PDs, 9 INTs over past two seasons). While athletically limited in man, he’s probably got the best shot to develop in a zone-heavy scheme like ours. (7th)

NICKELBACKS: Not the band 

While his lack of size and length may limit him to the inside, Mac McWilliams (UCF) is a plus athlete with great burst and change of direction who crashes hard on underneath routes and in the running game. You worry about his ability down the field because of his size and the fact that he just doesn’t get his head around well on verticals, but those issues are harder to target in the nickel. (5th)

A quick and savvy underneath disruptor, Jaylin Smith (USC) has underwhelming ball production and an overwhelming injury history–missing games in all four seasons–but he’s scrappy and sticky in underneath man coverage. He also presents immediate special teams value. (6th-7th)

BLIND GUESS

After the last few years with the Jets, Saleh is well aware of the luxury that comes with strong corner play, but unless our roster-building strategy has changed dramatically, I don’t think the Niners want to take a cornerback in the first round. Given the lockdown corner potential of Will Johnson and the chess piece playmaking versatility of Jahdae Barron, it’s certainly possible. But all else equal, I think they’d wanna spend that first pick on a lineman.

If we don’t tap corner early, I’d expect the Niners to be patient and wait for a value play later in the draft, both because of the large number of corners who could fit our scheme and the fact that—if we have to—we could add a veteran nickel corner after the draft and at least get by. It’s not ideal, but it’s something we’ve done before with decent success. Because of that, corner is a value position and a need, but one we can be patient filling until the third day.

Go Niners 🏈👍

2025 Draft: Tight Ends

Part V of our draft preview series looks at tight ends–the somewhat luxury item that could open up a new dimension to our offense. Per usual, any number before a player dictates their “consensus big board” ranking. Asterisks (*) by names mark some of my favorite prospect/scheme fits.

If this wasn’t one of the better tight end classes in recent memory, I likely wouldn’t have given them their own draft write-up. We’ve got two on roster who we’re clearly committed to, plus a fullback who does half of our tight end duties. But this is a deep class, particularly when it comes to matchup weapons in the passing game, and given our affinity for the position, Kittle and Juice’s ages, and the fact that you should usually tap the deepest position groups of any class, here we are. 

I do think the Niners have been trying to implement more 12 personnel for quite a few years now. So while the addition of Farrell and the re-signing of Juice will make the snap counts complicated, I don’t think it will preclude us from picking a tight end who we have aspirations of playing sooner rather than later. 

THE SKILLSET

We’re really only interested in two-way players–guys who can catch and block. They don’t necessarily have to be in-line players, but if they’re not, they have to be able to handle fullback duties because we don’t have a “tight end who mostly just plays in the slot” position in our offense. That means the versatility to play some snaps in the backfield and at wingback and pulling off complicated edge blocking assignments on the move. Those assignments aren’t easy, but they do allow a place for prospects who are more positional blockers than road graders in the run game.

In the passing game, we want guys who have the athleticism to get open and the wiggle/power in the open space to get YAC yards. Even though neither of these guys panned out, Jalen Hurd and Cam Latu were both of that mold. Given the huge amount of man coverage we saw last year, I’d assume anyone we pick in the first half of the draft would be expected to be able to beat press man—but that’s always a complicated eval (and a rare trait) for a young tight end.

THE NEED

For next season? Debatable. But Kittle and Juice are both over 30, and the latter was temporarily cut this off-season. This gives us the flexibility to draft someone who’s a bit more of a project later in the draft and let them season for a bit.

FIRST ROUND

5. Tyler Warren, Penn State
10. Colston Loveland, Michigan

SECOND ROUND

39. Mason Taylor, LSU
6-5, 251 lbs.
Ascending athlete who can be a three-level threat with further development

For quite a while, there’s been debate over who would claim the TE3 spot in this loaded class. After an impressive pre-draft run that included a 4.65 forty, Taylor–the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor–has likely secured that position. A smooth mover with excellent hands, the ability to make leaping grabs down the field, natural YAC skills, and a knack for finding openings in zone coverage, Taylor is an ascending talent who is still working on the finer points of his game. He needs to add strength, work on his blocking, and show the burst and tempo change in his route running proficiency to beat man coverage with regularity. There’s no reason he won’t get there (although he probably will never be a mauler in the run game), but there’s still projection involved.

45. TE, Elijah Arroyo, Miami
6-5, 250 lbs.
Big and athletic vertical threat with potentially creaky knees

An excellent athlete and savvy route-runner with a massive wingspan, Arroyo lines up and plays the game more like a jumbo wideout than a tight end–averaging nearly 17ypc and totaling 7 touchdowns as a senior. The majority of his receiver impact is while he’s split out into the slot, where he uses his great size and receiver-like ability down the field to threaten seams and create mismatches. In the run game, he’s not going to be crushing dudes on downblocks, but he seems like a willing blocker who can eventually be effective on the combo edge blocks our wide zone game requires. But the biggest question in Arroyo’s eval is his medicals. He’s only had one year of big production, mainly because his 2022 and 2023 seasons were cut short by season-ending knee injuries. Considering a bruise to his knee has prevented him from testing for scouts this off-season, his knee health is certain to be at the forefront of any scouting report.

THIRD ROUND

85. Terrance Ferguson, Oregon
6-5, 247 lbs.
Physical, two-way tight end with decent ceiling and surprising open-field ability

Despite starting 37 games over four years, Ferguson never became a focal part of the Oregon offense, doing a lot of his damage on leakouts, screens, and bootlegs. But he’s a good athlete and a natural pass catcher with strong open field running skills who is physical both as a blocker and as a runner. An efficient athlete, Ferguson doesn’t have great burst or tempo as a route runner and is smoother than he is sudden, but he doesn’t waste a lot of movement. He’s kind of a one-speed runner, and while that speed is pretty solid, the total athletic package brings about questions of whether he can get himself open versus man. Overall, he’s a well-rounded tight end who looks like an eventual NFL starter. His upside isn’t as high as some of his peers but his ability to actually block in-line certainly raises his floor.

*93. Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green
6-3, 241 lbs.
Versatile but funky athlete who put up ridonkulous college numbers

A truly unique (and polarizing) prospect, Fannin put up genuinely psychotic numbers in 2024, totalling 117 grabs, 1,555 yards, and 10 TDs—numbers that are all the more impressive considering he’s still quite raw as a route runner and is only 20 years old. Best described as awkwardly athletic, Fannin shows good burst and linear explosiveness but has an odd, almost duck-like gait that results in some stiffness in his lower body. This may cut down on his route tree a bit, but it hasn’t hindered his ability to get open, win at the catch point (he has great hands), and generate more yards than he should after the catch. As a guy who seems a little too small for full-time in-line work, you really wish he’d run faster during testing (4.71 forty), but his speed certainly wasn’t an issue while popping off against Penn State (11 receptions, 137 yards, TD) and Texas A&M (8 receptions, 145 yards, TD). I don’t know if he’ll ever be a true in-line tight end, but he lined up all over the place at Bowling Green, and—as a Juice successor and move tight end—the intrigue is undeniable.

DAY 3

IN-LINE AMBITIONS: Genuine two-way threats who can block from an in-line position. Given it’s day 3, these guys will typically have ceilings closer to TE2.

The Longhorns’ super-consistent safety blanket on an offense full of speedsters, Gunnar Helm (Texas) is not a sudden or fast (4.84 forty) athlete, but he’s efficient in his movements, a good route runner and blocker, and understands how to get open, get the ball, and get way more YAC than he should given his limited athleticism. Helm draws Jake Ferguson/Dalton Schultz comps because of how he exceeds his athleticism, but those speed and burst concerns—especially at his size (6-5, 241 lbs.)—are worrisome. 40-yard dashes are typically pretty telling in TE success rates, and Pat Freiermuth is the only starting tight end in the league who ran a slower one. But as a TE2? Helm seems destined for a lengthy career. (3rd-4th)

In a world of smaller tight ends, Moliki Matavao (UCLA) uses his size and bulk (6-6, 260 lbs.) to win big at the catch point and move bodies in the run game. While he’s got good short-area athleticism and natural hands, his lack of speed caps his ceiling as a receiver, so he’ll need to clean up his technique in the running game to carve out a role as a mauler with underneath/redzone ability. (5th)

Far from the sexiest of prospects, CJ Dippre (Alabama) is solid as a blocker and solid as a receiver but thoroughly unspectacular at either. His special teams experience gives him immediate value, and his testing points to some upside on the receiving end (even if he tested more athletic than he probably actually is), but Dippre feels more like a safe TE2 play than anything else. (5th-6th)

One of the Cardinal’s top receiving threats before transferring to Athens and filling more of a run-blocking specialist role, *Benjamin Yurosek (Georgia) seems primed for sleeper value as the rare late-round guy who has proven he can do both duties well still sporting an impressive athletic profile (4.64 forty, 1.58 10-yard split). I’ve seen him rated as high as the fourth and as low as undrafted, but if he’s more towards the latter, he could be a great value add. (6th)

JUICY HYBRIDS: More move tight ends or h-backs, these guys often lack the size and heft of in-line tight ends but could become mismatch weapons as Juice successors.

Tall and long with good athleticism, Oronde Gadsden II (Syracuse) is a converted WR who looks and plays like one. He needs to continue adding bulk and polish to his routes—which are a bit too backyard football freelance-y at the moment—but the receiving ability and athletic skills are there for a move tight end/h-back in our scheme. (4th)

A tall and lean mismatch threat (6-6, 241 lbs.) who is more big wideout than tight end, Jake Briningstool (Clemson) is a major seam stretcher and redzone threat but lacks the heft and physicality for full-time in-line work. He’s really not the ideal build for true fullback work, but—if he can get there as a blocker—it’ll be as a move tight end, in the wing, and out of the slot. (5th)

A former basketball player who plays like it with his length and box-out ability at the catch point, *Jalin Conyers (Texas Tech) is an intriguing athlete with good burst, great fluidity (6.94 three-cone), and enough YAC ability that he played some wildcat while at ASU. He’s used to lining up in-line, out into the slot, or in the wing, making him quite the intriguing offensive weapon, but little about his game is fine-tuned and game ready for legitimate snaps. But with effort and attention to detail, the long-term developmental upside is quite intriguing. (6th)

A productive hybrid weapon with impressive athleticism, route running, and the versatility to create mismatches all over the field, Brant Kuithe (Utah) lacks in-line size (6-2, 236 lbs.) but has the receiving chops, YAC ability, and good-enough blocking to be a worthy Juice successor… if he can stay healthy. A 25-year-old seventh-year senior, Kuithe tore his ACL back in 2022, missed the entirety of 2023 after undergoing multiple surgeries, then—after 9 games this year—suffered yet another season-ending leg injury. The potential is tremendous. So are the medical hurdles. (UDFA)

BLIND GUESS

The value versus need debate will be fascinating here. The Niners love (perhaps too much) picking offensive skill guys in the first two days of the draft, and this tight end class is ripe with high-upside, NFL-ready prospects. But while adding the next Kittle or Juice to jumpstart our 12 personnel aspirations is intriguing, we have three desperate needs (DT, DE, LB) that we feel highly likely to address in the first two days. So, unless we add more picks via trade, adding a tight end who can contribute immediately might require our last open “slot” in the first two days.

The argument against taking a tight end early is easy. You typically want to spend your premium picks on premium positions. The Eagles are a perfect example. Despite their loaded roster, they’re actually quite bad at late-round picks. Of the 26 day 3 picks since Roseman regained GM duties back in 2019, the Eagles’ biggest contributor is probably… Kenneth Gainwell (5th, 2021)? Quez Watkins (6th, 2020)? That’s shockingly bad. But the roster is still loaded because Roseman is borderline religious about spending his highest valued picks on the league’s highest valued positions. Since 2019, the Eagles have had 19 picks in the first three rounds, and they’ve spent 16 of them on one of the league’s most costly positions (QB, OL, DL, CB, WR). And that doesn’t include the first-round pick they shipped out for AJ Brown. They’ve had a great hit rate on those picks of late (and a lot of them), and have supplemented holes with low-cost free agents, but their commitment to positional value in the early rounds is a smart and conservative way to stockpile value and raise the floor of their drafts.

The argument in favor of drafting a tight end early is a bit more academic. How much better and (importantly) unique can Shanahan make our offense with another legitimate high-snaps receiving threat at tight end? How much can double-tight formations boost our running game and help our wobbly tackle depth while avoiding reaching on a tackle in an overall underwhelming class? And, of course, how truly unique and high-level are the tight ends in our crosshairs? Positional value be damned, everyone is taking an elite tight end over an average tackle. But if you’re betting against positional value—and, in our case, a more pressing need—you’d better be sure in your evaluation.

This feels like a position we’re heavily intrigued by, but not desperate for. So if we don’t add a guy in the first three rounds who we plan to play early—likely as a move tight end similar to Jordan Reed back in the day—we could easily bypass the position or wait until the last few rounds to add depth.

Go Niners 🏈👍