Announcement on Senior Bowl coaching staffs could be hugely beneficial to the 49ers as they face crucial decisions in 2025 NFL Draft
Back in 2019, the San Francisco 49ers' staff had the opportunity to coach at the Senior Bowl. It proved an extremely useful exercise, as it led to the second-round selection of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, along with the fifth-round selection of linebacker Dre Greenlaw. Both players are now household names and have been critical to […]
Back in 2019, the San Francisco 49ers' staff had the opportunity to coach at the Senior Bowl. It proved an extremely useful exercise, as it led to the second-round selection of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, along with the fifth-round selection of linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Both players are now household names and have been critical to the 49ers' success under Kyle Shanahan.
The days of the complete staffs from two teams coaching the week of practice and the game are now gone, with the staffs of the American and National team made up of coaches from several teams.
But the 49ers may still have a useful advantage heading into the draft after it was confirmed that K.J. Wright, their defensive quality control coach, will coach the National Team edge defenders.
Wright's position on the National coaching staff will potentially allow him to get a close look at several edge rushers who could be on the 49ers' radar in the 2025 draft.
Among them are a couple of highly rated prospects who could still be available on day two in Marshall's Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku of Boston College.
Wright is now in a spot where he could potentially work with those talents and provide detailed feedback to the 49er front office as they try to decide how to approach a critical draft following a 6-11 season in 2024.
It likely won't have a decisive impact on the final decision with that pick, but Wright's presence as a coach in Mobile could prove extremely useful as they go through the process.
In addition to Wright, San Francisco's special teams quality control coach August Mangin will be working as the special teams coach for the American Team.
San Francisco's special teams was one of the worst in the NFL in the 2024 season, and is likely to be an area of focus for the 49ers this offseason.
It would be no surprise if many of the Niners' day-three picks are spent on players with substantial special teams experience. Having Mangin working the Senior Bowl can only be helpful as San Francisco aims to identify potential contributors in that area.