It's no secret the San Francisco 49ers need to bolster their interior pass rush this offseason. 

The defensive tackle position was a huge problem for the Niners in the 2024 season, particularly after Javon Hargrave was lost for the season with a torn biceps muscle.

San Francisco's defensive tackles had issues rushing the passer and holding ground in the run game. And, with the 49ers revealing recently that Hargrave will be designated as a post-June 1 cut, it's clearly an area of the roster that should be a priority in both free agency and the draft.

And in his latest three-round mock draft, A to Z Sports' Travis May has the Niners addressing it by adding the next Aaron Donald, or at least a prospect who has given himself that tag.

Speaking last week, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen said to The Draft Network: "I'm the next Aaron Donald, man."

In this scenario, the 49ers buy into the hype and take Nolan with the 11th overall pick.

The 2024 production suggests Nolen has reason to be extremely confident in his abilities. Nolen had 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in his final season with the Rebels. Per Pro Football Focus, he tallied 35 pressures, tied for seventh-most among interior defensive linemen in the 2025 draft.

While Nolen as the 49ers' first pick in a critical draft would make complete sense, there might be more eyebrows raised by their second-round selection.

May has the 49ers following up the selection of Nolen by taking Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison 43rd overall.

He writes of Morrison:

Benjamin Morrison might go earlier than this, but if he does drop to the San Francisco 49ers here then he'd be a "sprint to the podium" type pick. Morrison missed almost all of 2024 with an injury, but is certainly a top notch cornerback having allowed a career passer rating when targeted of 44.1 (just barely above the rating of a standard incomplete pass).

With Charvarius Ward seemingly headed for pastures new in free agency, the 49ers could certainly use help at corner despite extending Deommodore Lenoir and seeing last year's second-round pick Renardo Green quickly blossom into an exciting young player at the position.

However, many would contend that the need at the tackle position, where the 49ers' lack of depth was severely exposed in 2024, is greater after left tackle Trent Williams missed the final seven games of a season in which starting right tackle Colton McKivitz again struggled justify occupying that role.

In the third round, May has the 49ers taking Ohio State edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau 75th overall.

Tuimoloau has enjoyed a huge season for the Buckeyes, which could yet end in a National Championship. He has 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, and his ability to deliver those kind of numbers would clearly be a huge boost to a pass rush that did not provide consistent support to Nick Bosa in 2024.

With Nolen and Tuimoloau up front and Morrison joining the secondary, the defense would be in a much better position to bounce back after a down year in 2024. However, if the 49ers were to go with that trio as their first three picks, there would rightly be increased concern about an offensive line that was a significant contributor to the 49ers' first losing season since 2020.

Underrated season for 49ers’ 2024 draft pick could complicate decision on key pending free agent

It might be a trickier call than first thought.