San Francisco 49ers address glaring need and build on a strength in two-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Like it or not, if the San Francisco 49ers don't get their act together in the next couple of games, there is going to be some talk about turning the page to 2025 and the upcoming draft. At 5-5, the 49ers are still in the playoff mix despite their upset home loss to the Seattle […]
Like it or not, if the San Francisco 49ers don't get their act together in the next couple of games, there is going to be some talk about turning the page to 2025 and the upcoming draft.
At 5-5, the 49ers are still in the playoff mix despite their upset home loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. However, they can ill-afford to take on much more damage in their bid to reach the postseason.
The end to the 49ers' season could come much earlier than many anticipated for the reigning NFC champions. As such, it is not premature to start looking at potential draft selections.
In his latest two-round mock draft, A to Z Sports' Ryan Roberts has the 49ers doubling up on defense, addressing an obvious need and building on a strength.
Roberts has the 49ers using their first-round pick on Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.
He writes of Grant:
"With Javon Hargrave out, the 49ers have Jordan Elliott and Maliek Collins starting at defensive tackle right now. Grant is a massive interior defender (6-3, 339 pounds) who can upgrade the run defense quickly. There is also upside as a penetrator."
In the second round, Roberts goes with Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke with the 49th overall pick.
Grant would address a big-time need. Hargrave's future with the team is up in the air, with the 49ers set to face the reality of having to make tough roster decisions if they do indeed make Brock Purdy one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the game, and his possible departure would leave a big hole in the interior that has been all too apparent since his Week 3 injury.
The massive frame Grant boasts and the benefits that brings in run defense would help address one of the 49ers' biggest issues this season, though it's debatable whether San Francisco would be willing to spend such a high pick on a player whose pass rush upside is limited by comparison.
Burke would see the 49ers build on an area of the team that has become a clear strength and should remain that way for years to come, with Deommodore Lenoir locked down to a contract extension last week and rookie second-rounder Renardo Green thriving in an expanded role in recent weeks.
But with Charvarius Ward and the rest of the cornerbacks on the 49er roster outside of Darrell Luter Jr. all bound for free agency in 2025, investing another premium pick at the position would be a wise move.
Burke has the physicality and ball skills to fit right into the 49er secondary. San Francisco has more pressing needs than corner, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see them add another second-rounder to its defensive backfield.
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