Key takeaways for the 49ers from Day 2 of Senior Bowl practices: San Francisco coach sees potential edge rush targets flourish
After knocking the rust off on day one, Wednesday's practices saw some of the top talents at the Senior Bowl start to hit their stride, including a couple who are likely to be of great interest to the San Francisco 49ers. With general manager John Lynch and the San Francisco contingent once again watching at […]
After knocking the rust off on day one, Wednesday's practices saw some of the top talents at the Senior Bowl start to hit their stride, including a couple who are likely to be of great interest to the San Francisco 49ers.
With general manager John Lynch and the San Francisco contingent once again watching at close quarters, several players potentially on their radar enjoyed a strong second day in Mobile, AL.
Here I look at some of the biggest takeaways pertaining to the 49ers and their potential draft plans following the penultimate day of practice.
K.J. Wright's National Team edge rushers shine
On day one of practice for the National Team, the offensive line won the day against a vaunted group of pass rushers. Wednesday's practice saw the defensive line, particularly the edge rushers hit back.
Mike Green, who led the FBS in sacks with 17 in his final season with Marshall, continued on his upward trajectory, decleating Oregon's Josh Conerly Jr. with a bull rush before later showing off his ability to win around the edge with speed and a well-executed two-hand swipe move.
Meanwhile, Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku also stood out, illustrating his own proficiency for beating pass protection with power and his prowess for winning to both the inside and outside shoulder of opposing linemen.
UCLA's Femi Oladejo was another who shone with his explosiveness off the edge on a strong day for an outside pass rush group overseen by 49ers defensive quality control coach K.J. Wright.
With the 49ers lacking a long-term answer at the opposite defensive end spot across from Nick Bosa, Green should certainly be considered in the mix for the 49ers with the 11th overall pick, while Ezeiruaku could be seen as an enticing day-two option after both impressed in front of Wright, and more importantly, Lynch.
The 49ers, though, will have a lot of options at 11, and the American Team practice was once again a showcase for an edge rusher who is a candidate to go ahead of Green despite vastly inferior production.
Shemar Stewart had only 1.5 sacks in 2024 but, with his blend of a 281-pound frame and remarkable athleticism and power, he is dripping with potential that the 49ers would be forgiven for believing they can unlock.
On day two, Stewart once again showcased his brute force, along with the speed to get around the edge, registering two would-be sacks in the team period, including one on which he stripped the ball from the quarterback.
With his build and ability to translate speed off the snap into a devastating bull rush, Stewart has everything the Niners look for in terms of his makeup, the question is whether they can accept a player with his unrefined skill set with their highest pick since 2021.
49ers get clarity on O-Lineman's likely future role
Arizona's Jonah Savaiinaea had a difficult first practice for the American Team on Tuesday while working in his familiar role of tackle.
Savaiinaea has been tipped as a potential target for the 49ers and has experience playing at both right and left tackle. However, after struggling on day one, Savaiinaea looked substantially more comfortable lined up on the inside, giving support to the argument of those who believe his future in the NFL is at guard.
That does not remove him from the equation for the 49ers as a potential day-two pick, and the interior line options are looking plentiful after two practices.
North Dakota State's Grey Zabel was a standout again, while USC's Jonah Monheim boosted his credentials as a day-three center prospect with an excellent showing in one-on-ones.
At tackle, NC State's Anthony Belton looked extremely composed while going against the best the National Team's D-Line had to ofter. However, if the 49ers are seeking a right tackle who could compete to start and might be available on day two, then they should take a long look at LSU's Emery Jones.
Jones was one of the best in show on day two, his practice capped by three successive extremely competitive reps against Texas' Barryn Sorrell in the competition drills, for which Lynch was an enthusiastic spectator.
Able to play inside at guard as well as at tackle, the Niners would be wise to consider Jones in the second round as a prospect who could immediately put pressure on starting right tackle Colton McKivitz and provide much-needed depth and versatility up front.
Linebackers show some encouraging signs
With doubts over Dre Greenlaw's future, there's reason to believe the 49ers could look to invest in a day two or day-three pick at linebacker to bolster their non-Fred Warner options at the position.
And they saw some positive flashes from two in particular in Wednesday's practice.
Oregon's Jeffrey Bassa was a standout on day one for the National Team, and he continued to show some very intriguing flashes on day two, with his aptitude for reading the quarterback's eyes in coverage sure to be appealing to the 49ers.
In the American Team practice, it was Notre Dame's Jack Kiser who impressed from that position.
Kiser had an interception of Jalen Millroe in the team period and also surged through a gap to blow up a run play.
A significant asset on special teams for the Irish, Kiser should be very attractive to a 49ers team that was woeful in that facet of the game in 2024.
The Niners will obviously hope to retain Greenlaw, and Dee Winters is likely to have an increased role in 2025, but the middle rounds of the draft could provide some alternatives if the former can't be kept around.
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They would be filling three holes on the defense.
