Niners Nation
We rank the three most positions of need by importance for the 49ers ahead of the NFL Draft
It’s only the middle of February, so while the NFL draft board is taking shape, it’s still too early to talk about certainties regarding the annual event.
We know that the San Francisco 49ers are currently scheduled to make the 11th pick, but even that could change. The 49ers could do as they did a few years back, trading up a month before the draft. They could even take that 11th pick and attempt to turn it into a Maxx Crosby or a Myles Garrett.
But for now, they’re at 11. So what should they do with the selection? With so many needs, let’s power rank which positions would make the most sense for the 49ers to address with their first pick:
1A/1B. Defensive line/Offensive line
Great teams are built in the trenches, and the 49ers need desperate help on both sides. There’s a valid argument for both sides to be the number one priority for the 49ers to address with their first selection.
I lean towards the defensive line because while the 49ers offensive line is not perfect, it’s a perfectly fine group—one that could be better and one that could be worse. The same could not be said for the 49ers defensive line in 2024.
Nick Bosa had a down year from what we’ve grown accustomed to, but he didn’t have much support around him. Bosa finished with nine sacks – his lowest total since his rookie season – with Leonard Floyd finishing right behind him with 8.5. But, the rest of the 49ers’ pass rush combined to be slightly better than Bosa and Floyd, with seven players combining for 18.5 sacks, just one more than the 17.5 produced by Bosa and Floyd.
However, the 49ers’ sitting at 11 leaves them in a tough spot. Abdul Carter, Mason Graham, and Mykel Williams are considered the three best players on the defensive line in this draft. However, Carter will be gone within the first three picks, with Graham and Williams projected to be taken before the 49ers are on the clock. The next wave of linemen – Walter Nolen, Mike Green, and Derrick Harmon – are being mocked later in the first round and could be seen as a reach at 11.
We assume the 49ers hold at 11 here, so the two players that make the most sense would be Graham or Williams if San Francisco is lucky enough for either to drop. But if neither drops, the 49ers shouldn’t reach for a defensive lineman when there is a need on the offensive line.
Will Campbell would fit nicely for the 49ers, but he also falls into the “likely won’t fall that far” category. But unlike the defensive line, the offensive line has plenty of top-end prospects. Armand Membou has been a popular selection for the 49ers at 11, and so have Kelvin Banks Jr. and Josh Simmons.
San Francisco...
