We decided to get in on the mock draft action and do a seven-round mock that we cut up by round. Chances are the 49ers make some trades and don’t use all 11 of their scheduled selections, but for our purposes we stuck with the 11 picks to get a feel for what types of players San Francisco might target in which round. We used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator to execute the mock, and made thee picks for the 49ers. Here’s the fifth round:
The fifth round has been the money round for San Francisco during general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. Trades earlier in the draft could change their urgency some in Round 5, but it’s hard to argue with any selections they come up with on Day 3 of the draft given their strong track record of finding talent there.
With the way this mock shook out, adding depth at a couple spots with just some quality football players felt like the easy call to make. A pair of players dropped to the 49ers in the fifth round who may not make it past the third or fourth round when the draft actually takes place. Finding talent that slips through the cracks is how San Francisco can win a draft where they don’t pick until the No. 99 selection. That’s also how they can keep their strong Round 5 history going.
Other rounds:
Round 3
Round 5, Pick 155 | OL Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama
Interior line depth should be a priority for the 49ers on Day 3, and if a player like Ekiyor falls to them in the fifth round they should sprint to the podium. He started all 40 games at right guard over his final three seasons and there isn’t anything he regularly does to indicate he can’t come in and at least be a rotational lineman right away in the NFL. He has great size, long arms and the athleticism to get out in space on screens and to the second level in the run game. Ekiyor might contend for a starting job if he lands with the 49ers since neither Aaron Banks nor Spencer Burford are surefire starters in 2023.
Round 5, Pick 164 | DB Marte Mapu, Sacramento State
Mapu suffered a chest injury in February which could hurt his draft stock some. He’s another player who may not fall this far though. If he does, it’s easy to see San Francisco utilizing him as a Swiss Army knife on defense. Mapu can line up as a deep safety or hang around in the box as a linebacker or nickel corner. He’s a little bit redundant with the Quan Martin pick in the third round, but hoarding good, versatile football players is a good way to build a roster. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers tried to bulk Mapu up and play him as a Will LB in the event Dre Greenlaw prices himself out of their range at the end of his two-year contract.
Round 5, Pick 173 | TE Cameron Latu, Alabama
The 49ers could certainly aim for a tight end earlier in the draft, but Latu is a nice find late in the fifth round. He’s a willing blocker and a good enough receiver to be a factor on the field alongside George Kittle in two TE sets. He’s not going to be the playmaker in the passing game that Kittle is, but he can get open, find space and catch the football. Perhaps San Francisco is looking for something more substantial out of the TE position. It’s easy to see Latu being the best non-Kittle receiving tight end they’ve had though.
