The Athletic’s NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler on Wednesday posted a complete seven-round mock draft. His selections for the 49ers feature a slew of intriguing picks, including a fun first-round scenario that leaves San Francisco skipping its biggest overall need in lieu of value at another important position.
We went through each pick and handed out a grade based some on the player, but largely on the need for the 49ers and whether that choice checks a necessary box at a good spot.
Here’s what we thought of each pick from Brugler:
Round 1, Pick 31: Illinois DL Jer'Zhan Newton
This is such an easy scenario to see play out. One of the top two defensive linemen in the draft could fall to San Francisco with runs coming at wide receiver, offensive line and quarterback. As Brugler notes in his mock, the 49ers will always add defensive line depth and there aren’t many defensive linemen in this draft better than Newton. Offensive tackle is still the 49ers’ biggest need, but here they still add a high-quality player.
Grade: A-
Round 2, Pick 63: Kentucky CB Andru Phillips
It would be really interesting if the 49ers picked a cornerback in the second round. It would be the earliest they’ve selected a CB in the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era. Brugler notes that San Francisco likes Phillips as a slot option, which would allow Deommodore Lenoir to kick outside where he had success in 2022. Phillips only posted 10 pass breakups and didn’t have an interception in two years as a full-time starter for the Wildcats which may give the 49ers some pause, but if they think he can be their starting nickel CB in Year 1 then it’s easy to envision them going that route. On the other hand, they’ve never placed this type of emphasis on the position and the OL is still a glaring need heading into Round 3.
Grade: B-
Round 3, Pick 94: TCU TE Jared Wiley
The 49ers’ final top-100 pick goes to a tight end, and they’ve still managed to not add any offensive line help. Wiley as a player makes sense for the 49ers though. He has plenty of size at 6-6, 249 pounds to be a regular in-line tight end in the NFL, and he’s a more than capable pass catcher who can produce more than any other TE2 the 49ers have had during George Kittle’s run atop their depth chart. There’s some development needed for Wiley which is why San Francisco would be a really nice landing spot for him. He can contribute as a second TE in multiple-TE sets until the club transitions away from Kittle and Wiley takes the TE1 job. Ultimately this is a fine choice, but it’s tough to see the 49ers going without an offensive line through the first two days of the draft.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick 124: Texas OT Christian Jones
An offensive lineman! The problem for San Francisco is they’ve waited so long in this draft that they wound up with a player who probably won’t be able to push for a starting job right away. Brugler’s analysis of Jones indicates he believes Jones’ ceiling is that of a swing tackle, which isn’t the worst outcome for an offensive lineman, but the 49ers already have a handful of players who fit that description. Depth is great. San Francisco needs more than just that at this point though.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick 132: Michigan G Zak Zinter
Zinter is a really fun player to watch and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he winds up starting for whatever team he plays for. While we’re of the mind the 49ers should be addressing offensive tackle earlier, finding interior depth will also be a key for them in this year’s draft. Zinter suffered a major leg injury where he broke his tibia and fibula last season for the Wolverines which puts a huge question mark on what he’ll look like post-injury. If he’s the player he was pre-injury though there’s an easy path to a starting RG job for Zinter right away.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 135: Rice WR Luke McCaffrey
This is another fun selection. Luke McCaffrey isn’t quite as talented as his brother, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, but he has a pretty similar playing style at wide receiver. He began his career at Nebraska as a quarterback, but transferred to Rice after two years. He played under center for one year at Rice before moving to WR where he made an immediate impact. In that first season as a WR McCaffrey put up 723 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 58 catches. He backed that up with 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Not to mention in those two years he tacked on 265 rushing yards on 27 attempts. With the bottom of the WR depth chart still unsettled, McCaffrey could immediately add another layer of playmaking on offense while contributing on special teams. An argument could be made for adding another OT here just to give the club some options. Defensive line help could also be prioritized over WR.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 176: Temple LB Jordan Magee
This feels like a good spot for some linebacker depth. The 49ers have Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, 2023 draft picks, who could certainly contribute this year, but they’re pretty big question marks still. Magee also plays like a 49ers LB. His athleticism jumps off the screen and he backed that up with a 4.55 40 at the combine. His athleticism combined with quality production over the last two years (146 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 7 pass breakups) makes him a really intriguing Day 3 pickup for San Francisco.
Grade: A-
Round 6, Pick 211: Memphis RB Blake Watson
This is an acceptable range for the 49ers to pick a running back in the draft. San Francisco could use more reliable depth behind Christian McCaffrey so aiming for a late Day 3 RB fits the club’s list of needs. Watson is a load at 5-9, 200 pounds and he constantly runs through contact to finish falling forward. He’s an older prospect and will turn 25 early in the 2024 season, but he comes with a ton of college experience where he was super productive. In 49 games Watson had 3,296 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns. He also racked up a whopping 113 catches for 928 yards and six touchdowns through the air. There’s definitely a world where Watson supplants one of the 49ers’ two RBs behind McCaffrey.
Grade: B
Round 6, Pick 215: Kansas State DE Khalid Duke
It would be a bit of a surprise if the 49ers didn’t add edge help before this late on Day 3. Duke is not a big player at 6-3, 246 pounds, but he has a really good first step that allows him to win a lot of reps with speed around the edge. Over the last two seasons he had decent production with 63 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks. San Francisco doesn’t have a pure speed rusher and with not a ton of depth at DE there’ll be plenty of opportunities for a player like Duke to make their mark in training camp. Still, it’s hard to envision him as anything more than a situational pass rusher long term for the 49ers.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 251: Tennessee CB Kamal Hadden
Love this idea for the 49ers this late in the draft. Hadden has good size and he posted five interceptions with 16 pass breakups over the last two years despite missing significant time with a shoulder issue last season. Athleticism is a problem that may keep Hadden from ever developing as an NFL cornerback. It’s not a glaring problem against college opposition, but his testing numbers indicate he’ll have trouble hanging athletically in the NFL. There’s plenty to like about Hadden though and banking on him overcoming a couple of athletic limitations could pay off for San Francisco.
Grade: A
