Tag: 49ers draft picks

49ers CB Renardo Green is one of NFL draft’s best scheme fits

Renardo Green isn’t just a dawg, he’s also one of the best scheme fits in this year’s draft.

The 49ers got a dawg when they selected Florida State cornerback Renardo Green. At least that’s what he repeatedly told 49ers general manager John Lynch when Lynch called to let Green know he’d be taken by San Francisco with the 64th overall pick. That dawg mentality allowed him to be one of the best press-man cornerbacks in college football last season, which made him one of the best defensive scheme fits in this year’s draft according to a list compiled by our buddy Doug Farrar from Touchdown Wire.

None of Green’s traditional measurables jump off the page. He measured in at 6-foot, 186 pounds at the NFL combine and ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. The rest of his athletic testing numbers, save for his 130-inch broad jump (89th percentile per Mock Draftable), are mostly ordinary.

What does jump out is his production both on tape and in a deeper look at his stats. Here’s what Farrar wrote about Green’s numbers during his final season with the Seminoles:

Green, who last season allowed 31 receptions on 60 targets for 290 yards, 103 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, one interception, 13 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 75.0, did his thing in the Seminoles’ press-heavy, man-heavy schemes, which led to some instances in which he got beaten on an island, but also some spectacular plays that showed all of his attributes — particularly a knack for clamping down in more press reps than most NCAA cornerbacks have to deal with. Green allowed just eight catches on 23 targets in press coverage last season, and just 3.5 yards per catch.

The 49ers will still deploy plenty of zone coverage, but having a player like Green who is so adept in man coverage potentially lining up across from Charvarius Ward, another press-man specialist, could give new defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen a slew of options when it comes to having an adaptable game plan.

If Green does turn out to be one of the best scheme fits from this year’s draft it would likely mean an improved 49ers secondary, and with that the potential for an even better defensive unit in 2024.

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49ers officially sign 3 draft picks to rookie contracts

3 #49ers draft picks have officially signed their rookie contracts.

Three of the 49ers’ eight draft picks signed their rookie contracts Thursday when rookies reported to the team facility for rookie minicamp.

Cornerback Renardo Green from Florida State, wide receiver Jacob Cowing from Arizona and running back Isaac Guerendo from Louisville all inked their four-year deals.

Green was a second-round pick. Cowing and Guerendo were both fourth-round selections.

There’s not much negotiation that goes on with rookie contracts since the years and price are set. Some of the language of the deal needs to be negotiated though which may be why the other five selections haven’t officially signed.

Ricky Pearsall, Dominick Puni, Malik Mustapha, Jarrett Kingston and Tatum Bethune remain unsigned. The 49ers take the field for rookie minicamp Friday.

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How 49ers could earn 2 more compensatory picks in 2025 draft

The 49ers have a chance to pick up two more comp picks in next year’s draft.

The 49ers are only expected to earn three compensatory picks in the 2025, but according to Over the Cap there’s an opportunity for them to earn two more during the season.

OTC isn’t an official source for comp pick distribution, but they have the formula nailed down very well. They currently have the 49ers projected for a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick next year to offset the losses of quarterback Sam Darnold and tight end Charlie Woerner in free agency. San Francisco will also have a third-round comp pick thanks to DeMeco Ryans being hired as the Houston Texans’ head coach.

Initial comp pick projections are determined only player losses and acquisitions in free agency. The next shift in comp picks will come once the season plays out and players have either hit or missed certain snap counts and earned incentives per OTC. That leaves the door open for two more comp picks to head the 49ers’ way.

Cornerback Isaac Yiadom signed a one-year deal worth $1.9 million with San Francisco. As of early May he qualifies as a gained free agent. If he winds up not qualifying because of his snap count, the 49ers will gain a seventh-round comp pick.

On the other hand, wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud doesn’t count as a loss for the 49ers after joining the Falcons on a two-year deal worth up to $6 million. If he hits the playing time or earned incentive threshold this season he’ll qualify as a free agent loss for the 49ers and would earn them another seventh-round comp choice.

Yiadom is an interesting player on the 49ers’ roster. He’s a special teams contributor who’s coming off his best defensive season as a pro. He should be in the mix to start, but he could also miss out on a roster spot entirely depending on how the cornerback position battle goes. Given the team’s need at CB it’s hard to imagine the 49ers will factor in the seventh-round comp pick much when determining his role and playing time.

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ESPN picks wrong loser of NFL draft for 49ers

ESPN picked Brandon Aiyuk as one of the losers of the NFL draft. They picked the wrong 49ers WR.

The 49ers selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the first round of this year’s draft was a signal that changes are on the horizon for San Francisco’s receiving corps. While it was expected by some that the 49ers would move one of Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk after the selection, they held onto both for at least one more season.

Picking a 49ers receiver as a loser of the draft because of the team’s first-round pick was the right choice by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in a piece he wrote detailing some winners and losers from the player selection process. Picking Aiyuk was the wrong choice. Samuel is the player who should ultimately be strapped with that distinction.

Barnwell does lay out how Aiyuk’s numbers could be impacted by the inclusion of a first-round pick in the receiving corps. That could certainly be the case, although given where Aiyuk sat on the pecking order last year as quarterback Brock Purdy’s top target it’s more likely we see numbers dip for Samuel and Jauan Jennings.

Ultimately Barnwell concludes that “Pearsall might not be a direct replacement for Aiyuk in the short term, but his presence could indicate San Francisco expects to move on from one of its wideouts sooner rather than later.”

This is spot on. And the wideout most likely to be moving on is Samuel.

He was already in trade discussions during this year’s draft, and the 49ers can save even more money by letting him go next offseason either via trade or release. That’ll likely be a necessity since Aiyuk is on track to receive a massive extension this offseason that will keep him in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future. And with Samuel no longer playing such a massive role in the offense, there’s a strong chance Aiyuk’s numbers skyrocket even with Pearsall more heavily in the mix.

Perhaps Aiyuk feels some type of way about the 49ers’ pick and he’s never the same player again as a result. In that instance, he’d most definitely be the biggest loser as a result of the Pearsall selection. For now though it would appear Samuel has more to lose while Aiyuk appears to have plenty to gain.

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2025 NFL draft: 49ers only projected to receive 2 compensatory picks

The #49ers aren’t going to lead the league in comp picks next year, but they’ve still got plenty of draft picks to work with:

The 49ers have done a nice job the last few years of playing the compensatory pick game in free agency, which allowed them to stock up on additional selections thanks to their free agent departures and additions. They also promoted internal minority coaches and front office executives, allowing those coaches and execs to get head coach and general manager jobs which in turn awarded the 49ers third-round comp picks thanks to the expanded Rooney Rule.

Next year’s draft will only see two comp picks awarded to San Francisco as part of the comp pick formula according to projections from Over the Cap. Their projections aren’t official, but they’re very good at mapping out what teams will receive what comp picks.

OTC expects the 49ers to get a fifth-round pick for quarterback Sam Darnold’s exit, and a seventh-round pick for tight end Charlie Woerner’s departure. They’ll also receive a third-round pick for DeMeco Ryans landing as the Houston Texans head coach.

While the quantity isn’t as abundant as it has been the last two years, the 49ers will be in a fine spot from a draft capital standpoint. Here are the picks they’re projected to have:

Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 3 (Compensatory)
Round 4
Round 5 (Compensatory)
Round 6
Round 7
Round 7 (Compensatory)

The lone pick missing from San Francisco’s stash is the fifth-rounder they surrendered as part of a punishment from the NFL for an accounting error the club committed. They recouped the fifth-round choice with the Darnold comp pick though, so they’ll have at least one pick to work with in every round.

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Don’t sleep on this 49ers Day 3 pick

Don’t sleep on this new #49ers wide receiver.

The 49ers’ selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 of the 2024 draft made plenty of waves regarding the future of San Francisco’s receiving corps. While speculation swirled about where he fit in the near and long-term, the 49ers made another addition to their receiving corps when they selected WR Jacob Cowing with the final pick of the fourth round.

Cowing’s 5-8, 168-pound frame is a big reason he slid, but it didn’t deter Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar from calling him the 49ers’ best sleeper in a list of underrated picks in this year’s draft.

Despite his frame, Farrar’s praise for Cowing is effusive thanks to the receiver’s deep speed and ability to win in the short areas of the passing game.

In 2023, the 5′ 8⅜”, 163-pound Cowing had six receptions on passes of 20 or more air yards on a team where the deep ball wasn’t a feature. His tape shows a lot of speed potential, and in today’s NFL, teams are less concerned with smaller receivers, given the use of motion and multiple deployments to keep them open, and away from bigger, more aggressive defenders.

And here’s Farrar talking about Cowing with NFL analyst Greg Cosell, who has been a huge Cowing fan since the receiver was at UTEP in 2021:

A sizable question mark about the 49ers going forward is whether they can continue stacking their offense with high-end playmakers. With the futures of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in question finding additional receivers to usher the offense into a new era will be key for San Francisco. Pearsall will get plenty of opportunities to be one of those players, but Cowing could certainly be a major part of the club going forward and another Day 3 gem who helps keep the 49ers’ Super Bowl window open.

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Malik Mustapha might be most important member of 49ers’ 2024 draft class

Why Malik Mustapha is the most important 49ers’ 2024 draft pick:

There aren’t that many worlds where the 49ers can salvage the trade up in the draft for quarterback Trey Lance. Safety Malik Mustapha, a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, gives San Francisco at least a slim chance to do it.

Regardless of the reason the Lance trade didn’t work for the 49ers it’s impossible to call it a success. They dealt three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up for a player they traded before that player’s third season began. That’s a mess no matter how many ways it gets sliced.

Last year San Francisco sent Lance to the Cowboys in exchange for a fourth-round pick. It was that pick, No. 124 overall, that landed the 49ers Mustapha.

This is their lone path toward salvaging something from the initial Lance deal. Not that they’ve been mired in mediocrity or not having success on the field. They’ve been to at least the NFC championship in every season since the trade, but Mustapha is now the ultimate result of that deal.

While finding quality safety play is imperative in a pass-heavy NFL, finding players specifically like Mustapha who can play in coverage while providing enough thump against the run to stay effective when offenses go bigger is essential.

However, on top of the importance mentioned above, there’s the added layer of softening the blow of the Lance deal. Chances are Mustapha isn’t going to be Ronnie Lott. If he can be a Pro Bowl or All-Pro caliber safety though it would be much easier to erase some of the negative fallout of the Lance deal. The 49ers will never get those first-round picks back and we’ll never know what players they would’ve drafted had they not moved up in the 2021 draft. We also don’t know whether those players would’ve helped them win a Super Bowl. For now the unknown weighs heavily though in the light of two NFC championship game defeats and an overtime loss in the Super Bowl.

Mustapha has a chance to usher in a new era for the 49ers’ defense though. And if he can do that while playing at a high enough level that he helps San Francisco eventually win a sixth Lombardi Trophy, it would undo lot of the weight sitting on the franchise from the 2021 draft gone wrong.

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Former 49ers GM thinks 49ers might’ve found their Trent Williams replacement

A former 49ers GM believes San Francisco might’ve landed its long-term replacement for Trent Williams in this year’s draft.

Offensive tackle was often circled as the 49ers’ most glaring need heading into the NFL draft. We speculated here at Niners Wire that they might even trade up to find an upgrade at right tackle who could conceivably switch to the left side whenever Trent Williams decided to retire. Not only did San Francisco not trade up, they didn’t appear to draft an offensive tackle at all. However, former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan believes one of their two selections on the offensive line could actually succeed Williams.

The 49ers didn’t address their offensive line in either the first or second round this year, opting to wait until the third round to pounce. At that point they traded up from No. 94 to No. 86 to select Kansas OL Dominick Puni. While Puni spent all of last season playing left tackle for the Jayhawks, he has experience at right tackle and guard, and most draft analysts project him as a guard. While McCloughan told Matt Barrows of the Athletic he believes Puni will play guard, the former GM didn’t rule out the third-round pick moving back to his natural left tackle position someday.

“I think he’ll end up being a guard,” McCloughan said in the Athletic. “He’s really good with his hips and feet. Really good. But I’m not so sure he can’t be a left tackle when it’s all said and done … if he gets stronger.”

This would be a pretty huge deal for San Francisco. Finding a replacement for Williams is going to move further up the priority list every offseason and if they got that player in Round 3 it’d check a sizable box for their future.

That’s a long way off though for Puni who will need to first prove he can hang at either right guard or right tackle in his first season. It sounds like San Francisco views him as competitor for the starting right guard spot for now. If he wins that and plays well though he could start getting looks for a move back out to tackle.

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49ers’ NFL draft haul signals roster changes on horizon

The 49ers didn’t make any major changes to their roster this year. If the draft is any indication, though, next offseason will be different:

The 49ers’ 2024 NFL draft selections didn’t feature any moves that will dramatically alter the roster this season. Trade talk about wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel quieted as the selection process moved into Day 2, and it became clear throughout the three-day event that San Francisco is gearing up for long-term changes to its roster.

Wide receiver is the most obvious spot that could look very different next season. That became clear when the 49ers selected WR Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 overall. Future changes in the WR corps were further confirmed in Round 4 when the 49ers took Arizona WR Jacob Cowing No. 135 overall.

Both players figure to make the roster this season, which would change the back end of the depth chart. Next year is when things could change more dramatically with Samuel potentially gone and Jauan Jennings potentially entering free agency.

The selection of Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha at No. 124 overall was another hint that changes are coming.

Mustapha figures to earn a starting job in the NFL. The 49ers have Talanoa Hufanga and Ji’Ayir Brown slated to start at the two safety spots this season, but Hufanga is an unrestricted free agent next year and the Mustapha pick puts the writing on the wall.

Assuming Hufanga fully recovers from his torn ACL and continues playing like one of the top safeties in the league, he’ll get a contract in free agency that soars well north of what San Francisco will be able to afford.

Extensions will also be required to keep players like cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir and left guard Aaron Banks. It’s easy to draw a line between the cost of their next contracts and the Day 2 selections of CB Renardo Green and OL Dominick Puni.

Even the trade up for running back Isaac Guerendo is a signal that time could in the Bay Area could be running out for RBs Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason – both expected to hit free agency next offseason.

The 49ers didn’t suddenly become cheap. They just have to start sacrificing some areas of the roster with a sizable payday coming for quarterback Brock Purdy, whose rookie contract is halfway through. Once Purdy becomes more expensive, the 49ers will have to alter the way their roster is constructed. This is the reality of team building in a league with a hard salary cap.

That means letting some good players out the door. The 49ers worked through this draft as though they’re gearing up to replace some of those players as the roster needs to become younger.

In 2024 the 49ers will aim to get back to the Super Bowl with most of the same core that’s been around since their first Super Bowl run with Kyle Shanahan in 2019. Next year it’ll start looking different, though, and a handful of players taken in this year’s draft will be key in ushering in that new era of football in San Francisco.

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WATCH: 49ers 7th-round LB Tatum Bethune loves to hit

49ers 7th-round LB Tatum Bethune is a lot of fun to watch.

The 49ers have a type at linebacker and it’s clear watching Florida State Tatum Bethune run around why San Francisco identified him as the player they wanted with the 251st overall pick in the 2024 draft.

His lack of size probably contributed to his fall into the seventh round, and there are some missed tackles that come as a result of his aggressiveness in getting to the football. When he connects though, it is loud.

He walloped LSU quarterback and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels on a hit often used to show why Daniels could have trouble adapting to the NFL.

There may or may not ever be a starting job for Bethune, but if he winds up getting regular defensive playing time it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Check out these highlight clips: