The San Francisco 49ers have had to say goodbye to a few key contributors this offseason as they attempt to become a Super Bowl contender again. Therefore, this franchise heads into the NFL Draft with several positions that need to be upgraded.
While general manager John Lynch has continually built his rosters around an elite defense, with players like Dre Greenlaw and most of last year’s defensive line now gone, Lynch will need to revamp this unit to make the 49ers the favorite in the NFC West.
San Francisco Standard sports columnist Tim Kawakami is therefore projecting that the franchise will address the defensive line with its No. 11 overall pick. Kawakami lists out the players that will be under consideration to line up alongside All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa.
“I believe the 49ers should and will take the best defensive lineman who gets to them at pick No. 11,” Kawakami argues. “Whether Michigan’s Mason Graham surprisingly slips out of the top 10, Georgia’s Mykel Williams strikes the 49ers’ schematic fancy, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart’s eye-popping athleticism catches their eye, or somebody else such as Oregon’s Derrick Harmon or Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen leaps to the top of their defensive line wish list.
Though this isn’t a draft loaded with stars, especially after the first seven or eight players, there’s a cluster of talented defensive linemen capable of walking into starting jobs as rookies.”
The 49ers ultimately have eleven total picks over these next three days. For this storied franchise to get back where it belongs in the NFC hierarchy, several of these picks have to be instant contributors. The pressure is on Lynch going into today as he tries to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season.
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