Tag: 49ers draft picks

How 49ers win over Bears affected the 2025 NFL draft order

For you NFL draft sickos

The San Francisco 49ers still have an outside shot to make the NFL playoffs, but as their chances dip despite a blowout win over the Chicago Bears, it’s easy to turn an eye toward the 2025 NFL draft.

It looked like the 49ers might be on track for a top-10 pick after consecutive losses to the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills.

However, they righted their ship Sunday against Chicago and careened back down the draft order where the rest of the playoff hopefuls reside.

San Francisco entered the week holding the No. 14 overall pick in the rear of a cluster of 5-7 teams. Now they’re sitting at 6-7 alongside their NFC West rivals. At No. 17 overall the 49ers are one spot ahead of the Los Angeles Rams and one spot behind the Arizona Cardinals.

Here’s the 2025 NFL draft order based on the full-season strength of schedule tiebreaker:

1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)
2. New York Giants (2-11)
3. New England Patriots (3-10)
4. Carolina Panthers (3-10)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10)
6. Tennessee Titans (3-10)
7. New York Jets (3-10)
8. Cleveland Browns (3-10)
9. Chicago Bears (4-9)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-8)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8)
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-8)
13. Miami Dolphins (6-7)
14. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
15. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
16. Arizona Cardinals (6-7)
17. San Francisco 49ers (6-7)
18. Los Angeles Rams (7-6)

Ties come down to strength of schedule where the team with a worse strength of schedule gets the more favorable pick. Of the five 6-7 teams, the 49ers are on track to have the best strength of schedule and thus land the worst pick among that group.

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Where are the 49ers scheduled to pick in the 2025 NFL draft?

For those of you reading ahead, here’s where the 49ers stand in the NFL draft order:

Mid-November is probably too early to start earnestly diving into the NFL draft for the San Francisco 49ers.

Some teams are already eyeing April’s three-day selection event, and while the 49ers playoff chances are dwindling, they still have the talent to turn a corner and make a run at the postseason.

Until the 49ers turn that corner though, we have to operate like they’re not going to, thus leading us to take a quick peek at the 2025 NFL draft order.

Next year’s draft will be particularly important for a 49ers club that’s may be entering a transition stage where they need to supplement their roster with some top-end talent to fill some starting jobs and shore up depth on a top-heavy roster.

The problem for the 49ers goes back to what we just talked about up top — they’re not bad enough to worry about the draft yet which means they’re in the purgatory that sits between a playoff berth and a premium draft pick.

Here’s where things stand in the NFL draft order (non-playoff team edition) after 11 weeks according to Tankathon:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9)
2. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
3. Cleveland Browns (2-8)
4. New York Giants (2-8)
5. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8)
6. New England Patriots (3-8)
7. New York Jets (3-8)
8. Carolina Panthers (3-7)
9. Dallas Cowboys (3-7)
10. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)
12. Miami Dolphins (4-6)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
14. Chicago Bears (4-6)
15. Indianapolis Colts (5-6)
16. Seattle Seahawks (5-5)
17. Los Angeles Rams (5-5)
18. San Francisco 49ers (5-5)

That’s right. The 49ers, who are last in the NFC West by way of tiebreaker, would also pick last out of the three 5-5 NFC West teams because of the strength of schedule tiebreaker.

Because the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks all have 5-5 records, the strength of schedule tiebreaker kicks in. The team with the lower strength of schedule gets the earlier draft pick. San Francisco’s opponents have a .549 winning percentage. Seattle’s is .531, and LA’s is .534.

It’s worth noting those numbers are based on season-long percentages. The 49ers have the lowest strength of schedule after 11 weeks.

Ideally the 49ers will turn their season around and find their way into the postseason. For now, we’ll continue keeping track of where they stand in the NFL draft order.

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49ers offense gets boost from unlikely source vs. Cowboys

Shoutout to Isaac Guerendo.

The San Francisco 49ers’ offense was stuck in a little bit of a rut Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, but an unlikely hero helped them turn it around.

In the first half of a 30-24 win over the Cowboys, the 49ers scored only six points. Their run game in particular struggled with running back Jordan Mason churning out only 18 yards on six carries in the first quarter and change.

A shoulder injury wound up forcing Mason into the locker room before halftime, opening the door for rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo. He entered the game with just 23 carries on the season, including only one in Week 7 against the Chiefs.

Sunday wasn’t the first time Guerendo got an opportunity for extended playing time, but it was certainly his best outing. He rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and scored his first-career touchdown. He also got to 85 yards with a long run of just 19.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the game that the improvement for Guerendo has been clear.

“I think he’s learned from each run he’s gotten,” Shanahan said. “There are a couple runs earlier in the year that he did alright on, but we grade him pretty hard, everybody pretty hard. And he had a couple, like four-yard runs we thought he could have got seven yards on. We go pretty hard on him. And then you watch how he takes that to practice and everything we’ve really kind of been pushing him with, he’s been real coachable, he’s not a sensitive guy, he’s real detailed and he’s very poised for a rookie. Things aren’t too big for him and didn’t get a lot of preseason, but once he got healthy there and throughout this year, I feel he’s gotten better each week.”

Guerendo also played a big role in the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks, but he struggled to find running room in that game before a 76-yard run late in the fourth quarter helped the 49ers seal the victory. He finished the game with 10 carries for 99 yards.

He was more consistent Sunday night with runs of 19 and 15 yards on his first two touches. He flashed his speed and his power, and in general looked more patient in waiting for running lanes to develop.

Shanahan also said Guerendo was running well enough that they didn’t even try to put Mason back in the game after he came out for the second half with his helmet on — a sign he was ready to go.

Guerendo rewarded the 49ers’ faith in him by going for 47 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in the second half. He also contributed as a pass catcher, hauling in three of his four targets for 17 yards.

The talent has always been apparent with Guerendo, he just wasn’t catching on the way we’ve seen other RBs do in Shanahan’s scheme. Sunday night was his coming out party and it came in a game where the 49ers desperately needed their run game to get rolling to help them turn things around after a rough first half.

With Christian McCaffrey set to return soon, Guerendo may not get another opportunity as a lead RB this season, but he took his opportunity Sunday night and played well enough to be a major cog in a huge 49ers victory.

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49ers roster moves: WR Ricky Pearsall officially activated

Some 49ers roster moves!

The San Francisco 49ers officially activated first-round pick Ricky Pearsall off the Non-Football Injury list as part of a flurry of roster moves ahead of their Week 7 bout with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pearsall has been on the NFI since suffering a gunshot wound to the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco the week before the regular season began.

The No. 31 overall pick in this year’s draft had his 21-day practice window opened Monday before the team’s bonus practice. They didn’t need more than a week of practice to decide to activate the rookie receiver. He was a full participant Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and was officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

His activation makes it appear he’ll suit up for the first time as a pro Sunday.

In a corresponding move, kicker Matthew Wright was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering shoulder and back injuries while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff in Week 6. He was with the club because kicker Jake Moody was hurt the week prior, also while making a tackle on a kickoff.

With no kicker on the active roster, former Packers kicker Anders Carlson was elevated from the practice squad after signing early in the week. Carlson, 26, connected on 27-of-33 field goals last season with Green Bay in his only NFL season.

Undrafted rookie safety Jaylen Mahoney was also elevated from the practice squad to provide depth at safety and special teams contributions.

The 49ers and Chiefs kick off at 1:25pm Pacific Time from Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

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49ers injury update: Practice window opened for rookie WR

Great news: WR Ricky Pearsall is back for the 49ers.

The San Francisco 49ers on Monday announced rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall’s practice window has officially been opened.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after the 49ers’ Week 6 win over the Seahawks that Pearsall’s practice window would be opened ahead of Week 7.

The 49ers now have 21 days to decide whether to activate Pearsall off IR. If he’s not activated within that 21-day window his rookie season will be over.

San Francisco has a bonus practice Monday after getting the mini-bye following their Thursday night matchup with the Seahawks. Pearsall figures to participate in that session, although his level of activity won’t be clear since the team isn’t obligated to release a participation report like they will after Wednesday’s normal practice.

Monday will mark Pearsall’s first practice since being shot through the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco in early September.

It’s also unclear just how much Pearsall will play this season. He missed a large chunk of training camp with hamstring and shoulder injuries. Now he’s missed the first six weeks of the regular season.

San Francisco may utilize his entire 21-day window to ensure he’s as up to speed as possible before coming off IR.

The 49ers selected Pearsall at No. 31 overall in this year’s draft out of the University of Florida. He has yet to make his pro debut after missing all of the preseason and the first portion of the regular season.

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49ers rookie has officially jumped up depth chart after earning Week 4 start

The 49ers had a new starter on Sunday, an indicator that their depth chart has changed.

The San Francisco 49ers’ blowout win over the New England Patriots in Week 4 began with an interesting wrinkle.

Strong safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out of the contest with an ankle injury he suffered in Thursday’s practice. That opened the door for a new starter to jump into that role.

For the first two weeks it was veteran George Odum in the starting spot while Hufanga finished his recovery from an ACL tear he suffered last season. This week was different.

With Hufanga nursing an ankle issue, the 49ers turned to rookie fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha as their starter.

“Yeah, we thought he was ready for it,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said in a press conference after the game. “When him and (Odum) G.O. were going, we started rotating him a little, I think the second week. He’s been doing awesome in practice. We started to mix him in there in game two. I think (Hufanga) Huf came back in game three, so we didn’t need to do it. But when we found out Huf couldn’t play today, we knew he was next man up.”

Mustapha rotated in and actually out-snapped Odum in Week 2, but he didn’t see much action in Week 3.

In Week 4 he was the strong safety, an indicator that he’s eclipsed Odum on the depth chart and has firmly grasped the No. 3 safety spot where the club will turn to him if there’s an injury. They may also start sprinkling in some three-safety looks where Mustapha is on the field with Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown.

For now he’s steadily climbing the depth chart. Barring a major injury he’ll be the No. 3 safety the rest of this year, but his rise bodes well for his chances to snag a starting job in 2025.

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Kyle Shanahan comments on rookie WR aren’t encouraging

So, why didn’t Jacob Cowing play against the Rams?

Rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing’s absence from a third consecutive game raised some eyebrows after the San Francisco 49ers’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Cowing figured to be a player who saw a bigger role with veteran WR Deebo Samuel sidelined by a calf injury. His absence wasn’t much of a story as WR Jauan Jennings put up an 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown game, but it was put under a spotlight when second-year WR Ronnie Bell dropped a key throw late in the loss.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday on a conference call about Cowing’s absence. His answer didn’t provide much optimism that Cowing would be a factor any time soon.

“He’s still working to get out there,” Shanahan said. “He is trying to get more comfortable with the offense and just earn a role with it, gets closer and closer each week. Still got a bit to go though.”

He doubled down when asked for reasons why Cowing wasn’t getting offensive snaps.

“There’s lots of reasons that go into it, but he hasn’t been able to make his way into that group yet,” Shanahan said, “and the more he gets comfortable with the offense and the more consistent he gets then he’ll earn those opportunities.”

It makes sense that Cowing wouldn’t be ready to contribute offensively just yet. The rookie fourth-round pick missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. He did produce in his two preseason contests, but having success in a preseason doesn’t necessarily mean a player is ready to suit up in a regular-season game.

On the other hand, Cowing showed enough electricity with the ball in his hands that the 49ers should consider devising ways to get him on the field in some capacity. It’s hard to imagine they’re eager to give Bell more opportunity after his pair of drops Sunday. Their injury situation leaves them short on options, but it doesn’t seem like Cowing will be part of the solution any time soon.

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2 49ers rookies may see more playing time after Week 2 debuts

Could these 49ers rookies see more playing time after their brief Week 2 outings?

A pair of San Francisco 49ers rookies made their debuts on the defensive side of the ball in Week 2.

Cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha both saw action on defense against the Minnesota Vikings after only playing on special teams in the season opener vs. the New York Jets.

Green played four snaps as a fourth cornerback. Mustapha rotated in at strong safety with veteran George Odum and played 31 snaps.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that both players could see similar roles against the Rams depending on how their game plan shakes out.

“Possibly. They have to be ready, always, in case of an injury,” Shanahan said. “I could say they don’t have any plans to play or to go in and then one play happens and they’re in the rest of the game. It was nice to mix Malik in last week. I thought he did well with his reps. Renardo came in on a couple of dime packages and he did well with his reps too. So possibly with the scheme, whatever that is this week, we can keep building off that. But if not, they’re always one play away from playing the rest of the game.”

Green is still behind Isaac Yiadom on the 49ers’ depth chart, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to pass him despite a tough game from Yiadom in Minnesota. If the rookie second-round pick does play it’ll likely be in the dime package like the one he played in against the Vikings.

Mustapha is a more interesting case because starting strong safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to return in Week 3. However, Hufanga’s workload is still a question mark. If he ends up not playing a full complement of snaps, we could see Mustapha rotate in as the backup.

Regardless of their roles in 2024, both Green and Mustapha figure to play big parts in the 49ers’ defense in 2025 and beyond.

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49ers 2023 third-round pick starts off on right foot with Player of the Week award

Jake. Moody.

The San Francisco 49ers put together strong performances on both sides of the ball in their 32-19 win over the New York Jets in Week 1.

While the offense and defense showed out, their special teams was the star of Monday night’s show thanks to second-year kicker Jake Moody. He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after drilling all six of his field goal attempts in the victory.

Moody drilled a 46-yarder to open the scoring. His next one was good from 51 yards out. He hit a chip shot 31-yarder to push the 49ers’ lead to 16-7 just before the half. His 53-yard try doinked off the left upright and through. Then he was good from 23 and 42 yards to help the 49ers put the game away while their offense struggled to find the end zone.

This is a great sign for the 49ers and their 2023 third-round pick, who struggled at points last season. While he was perfect on extra points until Week 18, he missed a couple of crucial kicks in Weeks 6 and 7 that led to San Francisco’s first two losses of the season. He finished his rookie campaign 21-of-25 on field goal tries.

Ideally the 49ers offense will start turning their drives into touchdowns. For now though, they’ve found a reliable kicker. And if Moody is going to be as reliable all year as he was Monday night, the 49ers will have a pretty significant advantage down the stretch of close games.

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4 49ers rookies change jersey numbers after final cuts

Hot of the presses! New jersey numbers are out for 49ers rookies:

The San Francisco 49ers had a quartet of rookies change their jersey numbers once the dust settled from final cuts.

Cornerback Renardo Green, safety Malik Mustapha, wide receiver Jacob Cowing and running back Isaac Guerendo all made number changes ahead of the team’s Tuesday bonus practice according to the Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Green, who rocked No. 31 during the preseason, changed his number to 0. That jersey was previously worn by CB Samuel Womack, who was waived at final cuts. The Indianapolis Colts claimed him off waivers.

That jersey number has only ever been worn by Womack in 49ers history. He began wearing it last season when the NFL changed its jersey number rules.

Mustapha wore No. 43 in the preseason, a traditional safety number. He will now wear No. 6 in the regular season. He joins Deommodore Lenoir and Charvarius Ward as players wearing single digits in the 49ers secondary. Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown wear 29 and 27, respectively.

Cowing was another player who wore a traditional number for his position in camp. His preseason jersey number was 83. He’ll now wear No. 19, which was most recently worn by WR Deebo Samuel. Samuel changed to No. 1 this offseason.

During camp, veteran WR Trent Taylor rocked the No. 19 jersey. He was released and then re-signed to the practice squad. His new numbers is 81 since he didn’t retain his jersey number after camp because of his release.

Perhaps the most notable change is Guerendo, who wore No. 49 in the preseason. That is an objectively atrocious number for a running back. He’s now wearing No. 31 – still not great, but better than 49.

Green and RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn were both No. 31 in camp. Vaughn was waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Green, of course, relinquished 31 to take No. 0.

We may see plenty of these jerseys on the field in the season opener on Sept. 9. Green could be the team’s starting slot corner, while Guerendo and Cowing could both start as returners on special teams.

The rest of the rookie class will apparently retain their numbers. First-round pick Ricky Pearsall is No. 14, third-round pick Dominick Puni is No. 77, and seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune will stay with No. 48.

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