There’s a consistent theme with the 49ers’ 2021 draft class. All but one of the picks fits into a similar track to a starting role entering their rookie seasons.
It appears based on initial projections for each pick that San Francisco’s eye was toward 2022 and beyond when they made their selections, because the path to starting is cluttered for almost all of them.
They drafted a quarterback, two offensive linemen, two running backs, two cornerbacks and a safety. They have starters lined up for 2021 at all but right guard, where second-round pick Aaron Banks should step in. Outside of that, the starting roles should open en masse next year.
With that in mind, we went through this year’s class to try and gauge the chances each player has of being the starter when the 49ers take the field Week 1: