49ers can address glaring needs with these Day 3 draft tweaks originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Day 3 of the NFL Draft has been a goldmine for the 49ers since the arrival of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017.
The foundation of San Francisco’s star-studded roster wouldn’t exist without home run selections like Brock Purdy (No. 262 overall in 2022), George Kittle (No. 146 overall in 2017), Dre Greenlaw (No. 148 overall in 2019), Talanoa Hufanga (#180 overall in 2021) and Deommodore Lenoir (#172 overall in 2021).
The 49ers currently have six selections between the fourth and seventh rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, with the opportunity to replenish a roster that has been among the league’s best over the past half-decade.
Here are San Francisco’s picks entering the final day of the draft with:
Round 4 (No. 124 overall)
Round 4 (No. 135 overall)
Round 5 (No. 173 overall)
Round 5 (No. 176 overall)
Round 6 (No. 215 overall)
Round 7 (No. 251 overall)
Security
After approaching the cornerbackoffensive line and wide receiver positions In the first three rounds, the end of the secondary remains the 49ers’ most glaring need heading into Day 3. With All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga recovering from a torn ACL and Tashaun Gipson Sr., the 2022 third-round pick , Ji’Ayir Brown, is the only safety on San Francisco’s roster who has logged considerable snaps with the team.
The 49ers struck gold by selecting Hufanga in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and San Francisco could return to the well by drafting another PAC-12 safety in a similar range on Saturday. Utah’s Sione Vaki – a native of the Bay Area of Antioch, CA – plays with similar grit and determination as Hufanga, demonstrating incredible athletic ability during his time with the Utes.
Vaki measured in at 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, clocking a 4.62 40-yard dash while doing 20 reps on the bench press at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. The 22-year-old’s skill set isn’t just limited to the defensive side of the ball, as Vaki has also recorded 42 rushing attempts in 2023, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns on the ground.
While Brown showed promise during his rookie campaign and Odum is a respected NFL veteran, the addition of a player like Vaki not only provides the 49ers with security should there be any hiccups in Hufanga’s recovery timeline, but also opens the door for a strong rotation on the back end of a revamped secondary. This is a player who fits perfectly into the mold of the culture that Lynch and Shanahan have cultivated in San Francisco, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him donning the red and gold before the end of Saturday.
Offensive line
San Francisco took a step in the right direction by trading up to the 86th overall selection to draft Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni, but there is still work to be done in the trenches. Trent Williams and Aaron Banks anchored the left side with strong performances in 2023, while the right side left a little to be desired.
Jon Feliciano has finally stepped into the starting right guard role after splitting time with Spencer Burford, but his future remains uncertain as he is 32 years old and only signed a one-year contract this offseason. While Puni has the versatility to play on the interior and could be San Francisco’s right guard of the future, the 49ers have an opportunity to sign a quality player with extensive experience at the position with one of their fourth-round selections.
Texas A&M’s Layden Robinson logged 2,119 snaps at right guard during his five seasons playing for the Aggies, allowing just one sack in 401 pass-blocking snaps during his final collegiate campaign in 2023. The 49ers hosted Robinson on an official preseason visit -draft in the top 30. , and his extensive college experience is in line with San Francisco’s top three selections, where they selected two seniors (Ricky Pearsall and Renardo Green) and one sixth-year student (Puni).
At 6-foot-2 and 302 pounds, Robinson is exceptionally agile given his size and could join the 49ers in an advantageous position by having the opportunity to develop while learning from nine-year NFL veteran Feliciano.
Tight finish
This may come as a surprise after the 49ers selected two tight ends in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the need still exists. The 49ers’ inability to land a quality weapon at the position opposite George Kittle is among the few glaring mistakes made by a front office that has otherwise been stellar for the most part over its seven seasons in the Bay Area.
San Francisco selected Alabama tight end Cameron Latu 101st overall last year while also adding Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis in the seventh round at 247th overall. While it’s too early to rule out either player — especially Latu, who missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a preseason knee injury — there’s still enough uncertainty beyond Kittle to ignore the position’s approach on Day 3. .
With two fourth-round picks, the 49ers could find themselves in position to land one of the biggest steals of the entire draft by selecting Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. At 6-foot-2 and 243 pounds, Sanders offers additional physical traits, but perhaps more importantly, a track record of reliable production for a big-time program.
Sanders has 45 receptions for 682 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, averaging 15.2 yards per reception for the Longhorns. The 21-year-old tight end didn’t record a single drop on 67 targets in his final season at Texas, demonstrating a level of reliability that could be crucial for Brock Purdy and the 49ers’ offense.
Defensive line
No list of the 49ers’ preliminary needs would be complete without mentioning the defensive line, a position group that has virtually defined Lynch and Shanahan’s tenures since their arrival in the Bay Area. After a busy free agency period that saw San Francisco add defensive veterans Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos to pair with an All-Pro in Nick Bosa, the superficial need may not reflect how critical it will be for the 49ers to add a quality player along the defensive line on Day 3.
In this league, you can never have too many options coming off the edge, and San Francisco is in a position to give defensive line coach Kris Kocurek another perspective to mold for the future. Two names with surprising production in 2023 are available on Day 3, starting with Troy’s Javon Solomon. Measuring 6-foot-1 and 246 pounds, Solomon doesn’t possess the prototypical size of an elite edge rusher — but you’d never know that based on what he recorded in Troy.
Solomon led the nation with 16 sacks in 2023, displaying tremendous instincts and the ability to counter with an arsenal of pass rush moves that could leave Kocurek and 49ers brass salivating at the idea of adding him to their already stacked group. defensive line.
Another player who may not have ideal measurables but has significant production is Colorado State’s Mohamed Kamara. The 24-year-old has recorded 13 sacks in 2023 and has had at least 7.5 in each of the last three seasons. Although San Francisco seemingly opted for athletic traits over production at the position with the selections of Robert Beal Jr. and Drake Jackson in each of the two drafts, Kamara offers the opportunity to gamble on getting a more pro-ready prospect. , which falls in line with the selections the 49ers made on the first two nights of the 2024 draft.
