Picking the best Day 3 draft targets for the San Francisco 49ers after the 2024 NFL Combine
The San Francisco 49ers finally have a first-round pick in the draft after two years of sitting out the first night. But the Niners have done an excellent job during the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era of finding steals on day three of the draft. And general manager John Lynch and the front office […]
The San Francisco 49ers finally have a first-round pick in the draft after two years of sitting out the first night.
But the Niners have done an excellent job during the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era of finding steals on day three of the draft.
And general manager John Lynch and the front office will be placing as much as emphasis on continuing to do that as they will on nailing that long-awaited first-rounder.
"We really try to focus on making them all count," Lynch said at his press conference at the Combine. "We pride ourselves as putting as much into the late rounds as we do in the early ones."
Last week's events in Indianapolis may have given the 49ers a better idea of the players they would like to target on day three. I identified three ideal options for the Niners in the later rounds ahead of the Combine, but has what happened at Lucas Oil Stadium changed anything?
The 49ers should draft Wisconsin C Tanor Bortolini on day three
The 49ers don’t necessarily need a center, with Jake Brendel having established himself as their starter over the last two seasons.
However, Brendel is entering his age-32 season, so finding a young developmental replacement could be a smart move.
Bortolini's tape pointed to him being a player who fit the bill, and his efforts at the Combine only served to reaffirm that impression. He put together an outstanding workout that saw him post an A to Z Sports athletic composite score of 98.2%, tied for the highest among offensive linemen. Bortolini then backed up his testing performance with a similarly smooth display in the on-field drills.
He has only made 13 starts at center, but Bortolini has performed well in a Wisconsin offense that — like the 49ers’ attack — blends zone and gap scheme runs.
As his Combine display indicated, Bortolini is an easy mover to the next level as a zone-blocker, while is also impressively stout in pass protection. He plays with strong leverage and a wide base and has consistently shown an ability to stay locked on to his man for prolonged periods. Bortolini's performance against Johnny Newton of Illinois was a particularly strong one in that regard.
With experience at guard to his name, Bortolini also offers versatility the 49ers covet up front. He is a prospect offensive line coach Chris Foerster would surely be delighted to get in the building and, after a Combine week in which they met informally with Bortolini and then bore witness to his workout, the Niners may well be suitably intrigued to make him a priority day three target.
The 49ers should draft North Carolina WR Devontez Walker on day three
Previous pick: Louisville WR Jamari Thrash
What San Francisco's star-studded receiver corps lacks is speed. At the Combine, Thrash's workout indicated he is not the field-flipping vertical threat the 49ers have long since been without.
Thrash ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, a solid time, but not one that points to elite speed. The Louisville wideout's athletic composite score after the Combine was just 27.1%.
By contrast, Walker was one of the top performers at the receiver position. He clocked a time of 4.36 seconds in the 40 and his athletic composite score was 94.2%. At 6ft 1in and 194 pounds, Walker's side and speed would add a fascinating new element to San Francisco's dynamic passing game.
Walker's speed allows him to consistently take the top off of defenses. He eats up cushion against off coverage in a hurry and has the ability to easily create and maintain downfield separation.
Able to make catches outside of his frame due to his length and significant radius, Walker is a substantial yards after catch threat because of his speed and averaged 17 yards per catch in his sole season in Chapel Hill after transferring from Kent State.
Where Walker's game needs some development is as a route-runner. Walker's route tree with North Carolina was limited, and his routes are often lacking in polish and fluidity when he changes direction. On top of that, Walker needs to do a better job working back to the ball on comebacks and curl routes.
Such route-running issues would usually disqualify a receiver from being drafted by Kyle Shanahan. However, Walker has also shown some encouraging promise in the same area.
Indeed, Walker understands how to attack leverage to create separation and shows an awareness of where to settle against zone coverage.
Additionally, Walker will intentionally vary his route speeds to help facilitate timing throws with his quarterback. He has a lot of room to grow as route-runner but his detailed approach in this regard suggests he can rise to the challenge and thrive in a Shanahan offense that is all about timing.
The 49ers should draft LSU DT Mekhi Wingo on day three
Previous pick: Texas A&M DT McKinnley Jackson
With Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens and Sebastian Joseph Day all bound for free agency, the 49ers definitely need to add depth on the interior of the defensive line behind starters Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead, both of whom played through injuries in Super Bowl 58.
Jackson was the previous pick because of his ability to stop the run, which is crucial for a team that struggled to do that down the stretch and in the first two games of the postseason. Though the 49ers aren't tied to judging prospects by their athletic ability, a Combine workout for which Jackson earned an athletic composite score of just 12.7% figures to make him an unlikely draft pick.
Instead, LSU's Wingo projects as a better fit given he brings run defense upside and has an athletic profile more in line with what the 49ers typically look for on the defensive line. Wingo's athletic composite score was a much more impressive 72.7%, with a 10-yard split of 1.64 seconds that led all defensive tackles reflective of a consistently impressive get-off that shines through on tape.
Undersized at 6ft and 284 pounds, Wingo wins with his burst and quickness, traits that helped him post a career-high 4.5 sacks in his final season. He plays with excellent low pad level, which is a significant aid as a pass rusher and a run defender, with Wingo thriving in the latter role because of impressive work with his hands.
Wingo excels at getting his hands into the pads of offensive linemen early and extending to hold his ground at the point of attack, but he is also adept at quickly disengaging to find the football.
As a pass rusher, Wingo needs to develop more in terms of adding moves to his repertoire, with the rip move is his primary weapon of choice at this point. However, still only 20, Wingo is a prospect who has both room to grow and a skill set that already fits the 49ers extremely well.
Final Word
The 49ers have excelled at finding impactful players on day three over the years. Bortolini would give them an intriguing developmental prospect and is a pick that could yield huge dividends when San Francisco needs to find cap savings in the coming years. While unrefined in many areas of his route-running, Walker has the potential to be a terrific complement to Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel at receiver. With his burst off the snap and prowess in stopping the run, Wingo has the tools to be an immediate part of the 49ers' defensive line rotation.
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