The 49ers may not have made any splashes in free agency, but their maneuvering to add depth at several key spots has put them in a position to have more flexibility in this year’s draft.
That flexibility may not come at the top of the draft where San Francisco’s top need is still a glaring one. They need help at offensive tackle. A starting right tackle would be helpful in the immediate. It would be an added bonus if that having player could swing over and fill in for left tackle Trent Williams once Williams retires.
However, San Francisco’s free agency additions give the 49ers some added versatility to find a different position in their return to the first round for the first time since the 2021 draft. With depth secured at defensive end, defensive tackle, offensive line and quarterback, the 49ers can afford to move around the board during the three-day draft and shoot for quality over quantity with their picks.
Now if there’s no offensive tackle they like as a first-round pick, they can snag the best player available and then package a couple selections to move up in the second round for a tackle if they choose.
With that depth also comes the ability to take bigger swings throughout the draft. They’re now afforded the ability to draft less for need and more for the best players on their board. Instead of just trying to find some bodies at defensive end, they might be able to snag a cornerback or safety they really like.
They could also go with some more tertiary needs like wide receiver or tight end earlier on with some of the other needs pushed down the priority list.
To be clear, the 49ers need to do well in this year’s draft. They’ve survived without their last couple of drafts bearing much fruit, but at some point they need to start adding players who can someday fill in for some of the star power they’re bound to lose. This year’s free agency has given them a greater runway to find those star players though since drafting for need won’t be as essential as it was before their solid free agency moves.
