Tag: 49ers draft picks

Instant analysis: Dominick Puni an intriguing, versatile OL option for 49ers

The 49ers waited to address their biggest need in the draft. Their patience was rewarded with a prospect who could solve multiple problems for them:

The 49ers waited until the back half of Day 2 to address their biggest need in the NFL draft. San Francisco needed some offensive line help, and they traded up to No. 86 in Round 3 to snag Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni who could be an answer to multiple questions up front for the 49ers.

Adding OL help was never a surefire need for the 49ers. Colton McKivitz is serviceable and it looks like Jon Feliciano will have the inside track to the starting right guard spot. Upgrades at either spot would be helpful though. Depth is also something the 49ers needed more of on the offensive line. Puni could theoretically check any of those boxes.

He primarily played left tackle in college with 27 of his 43 starts coming there, 13 of which came with Kansas last season. He also played right tackle some with three starts there for Central Missouri where he spent his first four college seasons. Prior to switching to tackle with the Jayhawks though, Puni started all 12 games for them at left guard in 2022.

Chances are the 49ers view him as a guard and he’ll compete at right guard with Feliciano and Spencer Burford. It’s not out of the question though that they give him some reps at right tackle to see if he can provide competition for McKivitz and OL Brandon Parker.

The 49ers could have reached earlier in the draft for an offensive lineman, but chose instead to add depth at wide receiver and cornerback. They still wound up with a quality prospect who could offer solutions at multiple positions for them.

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49ers draft pick CB Renardo Green shut down No. 6 overall pick WR Malik Nabers in college matchup

49ers draft pick Renardo Green dominated the No. 6 overall pick WR Malik Nabers in a head-to-head matchup.

LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers went well before Florida State cornerback Renardo Green. The Giants selected Nabers No. 6 overall while the 49ers took Green off the board 58 picks later at No. 64 overall. Nabers might’ve been the better prospect, but nobody would know that based on their head-to-head matchup.

Florida State and LSU faced off to open the 2023 college season. The Seminoles dominated the game 45-24 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Part of the reason Florida State dominated was because of Green’s effectiveness in taking Nabers out of the game.

The No. 6 overall pick was targeted five times when guarded by Green and caught two passes for 20 yards per Pro Football Focus. Green managed an interception on one of the throws to Nabers, meaning he finished with just one fewer catch than Nabers on balls thrown the wide receiver’s way.

If Green continues stepping up in big games like that as a pro he could wind up being one of the steals of the draft as the final pick in Round 2.

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Instant analysis: Can CB Renardo Green start right away for 49ers?

Can 49ers second-round pick CB Renardo Green win the starting job in Year 1?

The 49ers went away from the public consensus for the second time in this year’s draft when they took Florida State CB Renardo Green with the 64th overall pick after a trade back with the Chiefs.

Green doesn’t have all the physical tools we’ve come to recognize as hallmarks of an early-round CB prospect. He’s 6-0, 191 pounds and ran a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. He doesn’t have particularly long arms and his athletic measurables don’t show anything extraordinary about the way he moves.

What jumps out with Green though is how hard he plays. He’s constantly around the ball and he has a physical style that the 49ers surely love. His 14 pass breakups despite his lack of elite size and athleticism are indicative of just how tight he plays in coverage.

Ask No. 6 overall pick Malik Nabers about him. This breakdown on Green from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar and NFL film guru Greg Cosell is very good:

Penalties are a pretty significant issue as a result of that playing style though which could wind up hurting Green in the pros. He has to learn how to stay aggressive without getting too handsy on receivers. That’s something that can come with coaching though.

If he can play as an effective press-man corner in the NFL the way he did in college he should be the frontrunner to start on the side opposite Charvarius Ward next season. There’ll be some competition though with Ambry Thomas, Darrell Luter Jr., Samuel Womack, Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom all vying for that starting job.

If Green’s athleticism doesn’t allow him to hang against NFL receivers though he could be relegated to special teams duty and the 49ers will be on the hunt for another starting CB next offseason.

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Texans QB CJ Stroud devastated by 49ers selection of Ricky Pearsall

Texans QB CJ Stroud was in disbelief when the 49ers picked Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall. He wanted Pearsall BAD.

While some scratched their heads over the 49ers selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud was devastated.

On Bleacher Report’s live NFL draft show Stroud had a pretty intense negative reaction when it was announced the 49ers would take Pearsall with the 31st overall selection. Stroud’s Texans didn’t have a first-round pick, and although they tried trading up, they continue holding the 42nd choice as their first selection in the 2024 draft.

After he composed himself, Stroud offered some thoughts.

“What? How? How is he even on their radar?” Stroud said. “I’m happy for him though. He wanted to go in the first round so he could get some more money. I talked to him a couple times, man. Congrats, bro. That’s big time. Bro, he’s a beast. Especially in that offense, man. Kyle’s gonna dial it up for him. That’s why I felt like he was gonna fit in our system so well.”

Throughout the reading of Pearsall’s player bio and stats, Stroud rattled off some exclamations of shock, disbelief and disappointment. At one point he compared Pearsall to Texans WR Tank Dell who put together a terrific rookie campaign with 47 receptions for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. Dell and Stroud played under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, who cut his teeth as an offensive assistant under 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

If Stroud is correct and Pearsall breaks out in Year 1 the way Dell did, the head-scratching on why the 49ers took him in Round 1 will stop, and San Francisco will be set at receiver for the foreseeable future.

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Mel Kiper believes 49ers reached for WR Ricky Pearsall in Round 1

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. wasn’t a huge fan of the #49ers 1st-round pick.

While the 49ers’ selection of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall received mixed reviews from fans, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. was pretty straightforward with his thoughts. He wasn’t a huge fan of the selection, dropping it in his list of ‘head-scratching’ first-round picks.

Pearsall was below a handful of wide receivers on Kiper’s big board. Via ESPN:

This one makes you wonder what’s going on with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, right? Could the 49ers have more moves coming? In the end, though, I had Pearsall ranked below both Xavier Legette, Keon Coleman and Adonai Mitchell, all of whom were still available at the end of Round 1. Pearsall lit up the combine with his testing numbers, and he could be a better pro than college player. He’s my No. 10 wideout.

It doesn’t look on the surface like the Pearsall pick has anything to do with the immediate futures of Aiyuk or Samuel. The presentation of the selection as a ‘reach’ on Kiper’s board is commensurate with other top draft analysts.

He was behind Mitchell and Georgia WR Ladd McConkey on Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 list.

Dane Brugler of the Athletic had him behind McConkey, Mitchell, Coleman and Michigan WR Roman Wilson.

A ‘reach’ is only in the eye of the beholder and it’s clear the 49ers believe Pearsall is ready to contribute right away. If he can contribute to the extension of their Super Bowl window he’ll be able to shed that ‘reach’ label quickly.

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Instant analysis: How does WR Ricky Pearsall fit with 49ers?

How does Ricky Pearsall fit with the #49ers?

The 49ers made a bit of a head-scratching pick Thursday night when they stood pat at No. 31 overall and selected Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.

Pearsall was not projected to go in the first round by any draft analysts at any major outlets, so it’s worth wondering exactly what the 49ers are angling toward with the Florida WR.

He played all over the field at Florida which lends some credibility to the idea he can fit in multiple spots in the 49ers’ offense as well. His route running is a key piece of what makes him effective and it allows him to gain consistent separation in tight spaces. It’s easy to see how he’d thrive a slot receiver – something the 49ers haven’t consistently had in the Kyle Shanahan era.

He posted 159 catches in five college seasons with 2,420 yards and 14 touchdowns across 55 games. He also returned punts at Florida, something he may also be able to contribute in San Francisco.

It’s clear Pearsall doesn’t project as a 1A type of receiver, but Shanahan’s offense won’t necessarily need that, particularly if Brandon Aiyuk is going to be around long-term. What the 49ers could use though is a go-to third down option at receiver, and with Jauan Jennings’ long-term future with the 49ers in question, Pearsall could take on a role Jennings has occupied since 2021.

What Pearsall needs to be for the 49ers to justify taking him in Round 1 is a high-volume target who converts third downs and creates some explosive plays with his 4.41 speed.

In a world where Pearsall develops he could become a terrific go-to target for quarterback Brock Purdy. There’s a lot of risk though given his relatively low ceiling, and the 49ers need to start hitting on more of their draft picks. If they hit on Pearsall, they’d be set at WR for the foreseeable future.

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NFL Draft: 49ers select CB Cooper DeJean with No. 31 overall pick

The pick is in for the #49ers! Here’s who they took:

The pick is in for the 49ers!

They selected former University of Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean with the 31st overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

DeJean measured in at 6-0, 202 pounds at the NFL combine. In four seasons with the Hawkeyes he posted 120 tackles and five tackles for loss with 20 pass breakups and seven interceptions in 30 games (24 starts).

More to come…

Is this WR a potential 1st-round surprise for 49ers?

If the 49ers make a surprise pick on Day 1 of the draft, this WR could be on their radar:

With the NFL draft set to begin Thursday the world of pre-draft analysis has give us a good idea of what players may be available when the 49ers are on the clock at No. 31 overall. While that range of players is fairly large, there is still plenty of room for surprises.

One potential surprise for the 49ers in the first round is South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette, who told Justin Melo of the Draft Network he had a 30 visit with San Francisco during the pre-draft process. The 49ers were one of at least 13 teams to have Legette in for a pre-draft visit.

Legette hasn’t gotten a ton of first-round buzz. NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has him at No. 49 on his big board. Jeremiah’s colleague Lance Zierlein has the 23-year-old projected as a second-round pick. Dane Brugler of the Athletic has him tagged as a third-round pick.

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A selection of Legette would surely be marked down as a reach, but it’s easy to see why the 49ers would fall in love with him as a prospect. He’s built like a tank at 6-1, 221 pounds and he wields that size effectively to wall off smaller defenders and win both at the catch point and after the catch. His on-field speed was backed up by a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

While Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley is the one drawing Deebo Samuel comparisons in this year’s class, it’s not hard to envision Legette holding a similar role in the 49ers’ offense.

There’s a reason Legette has been getting Day 2 projections though despite his size and athleticism. He’s not a super crisp route runner or separator. He was also an extremely late breakout player. Through his first four college seasons he played in 41 games with 20 starts and posted only 42 catches for 423 yards and five touchdowns. In 2023 he broke out in a big way though, hauling in 71 receptions for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns.

Ultimately it’s not likely the 49ers make Legette a first-round pick. If they wind up going with a wide receiver on Day 1 the options appear to be players like Georgia’s Ladd McConkey or LSU’s Brian Thomas if he falls. Pre-draft projections would indicate Legette is more likely a Day 2 target for San Francisco.

His name is definitely worth knowing for 49ers fans though and if the 49ers do make a surprise Day 1 selection there’s an easy case to make for it to be Legette.

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Could 49ers be viewing UCLA RB prospect as potential Kyle Juszczyk replacement?

The 49ers met with an RB prospect who they could be eyeing as a long-term replacement for Kyle Juszczyk.

A key piece of the 49ers’ 2024 draft will be stocking its cupboard with players who might be able to take over for some of their aging stars in the next few seasons. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk is one of the players San Francisco needs to start building a long-term contingency plan for, which may help explain part of their interest in UCLA running back Carson Steele.

Steele, who had a virtual meeting with the 49ers according to the Draft Network’s Justin Melo, had a fine career as a running back at Ball State and UCLA. He played in 37 games with 28 starts across three years and posted 3,294 rushing yards with 26 touchdowns on 648 carries. He also hauled in 58 receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns.

His pure athleticism doesn’t pop on tape, and he clocked a 4.75 40-yard dash at UCLA’s Pro Day. Those athletic limitations may keep him from being an every-down RB in the NFL. That’s where a transition to fullback (in the way the 49ers use one) may be helpful.

Steele has enough movement skills to line up in different spots the way Juszczyk does, and he has enough juice (no pun intended) with the ball in his hands to be a threat as a receiver the way Juszczyk has been with the 49ers.

It’s not a slam dunk that Steele would be able to make the move to fullback. He measured in at UCLA’s Pro Day two inches shorter and seven pounds lighter than Juszczyk’s listed height and weight. That may be a barrier he can’t clear. Not to mention the nuance that comes with such a position change while also trying to fill the sizable shoes Juszczyk will leave behind whenever he does leave San Francisco.

However, it would make a ton of sense for the 49ers to try and explore options to replace Juszczyk and Steele as a late Day 3 pick or undrafted free agent addition is a good candidate.

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NFL draft: Could 49ers buck their recent trend at cornerback?

The 49ers picked CB Ahkello Witherspoon No. 66 overall in the 2017 draft. Since then the earliest they’ve taken a CB is 102 overall. It may be the year to change that trend:

It seems like every year heading into the NFL draft the 49ers have cornerback at or near the top of their list of needs. Most teams on some level need CB depth, but for San Francisco specifically they’re in a spot where they have plenty of bodies at the position with no real clarity on their long-term viability as NFL starters. This year they may need to make an investment in CB via the draft that they’ve never made before.

Typically the 49ers have taken an approach where they add bodies at CB and hope their pass rush lowers the bar enough for CB play that a few of the players in their large pool can rise up and clear that bar.

With their pass rush as the top priority under general manager John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, CBs have mostly gone by the wayside in terms of investment. Save for Charvarius Ward, the club hasn’t paid a big-name free agent to come in. They’ve selected eight CBs since the 2017 draft. That year they took Colorado CB Ahkello Witherspoon No. 66 overall. They’ve not used a pick earlier than 102 on a CB since then, and only three of the eight CBs were taken in the top 50.

NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah believes the 49ers are in a spot with this year’s draft that it may be time to buck that trend.

“They can continue to look at the corner position,” Jeremiah said Wednesday on a conference call. “I think, in a draft like this where they’re picking those picks at 63, 94, I think there’s opportunities there to get players that can come in in the secondary and help out and be a part of their mix right away.“

If the 49ers take a CB at No. 63 it would be the earliest they’ve taken one since 2017 and it would be the first time they used a pick earlier than Round 3.

While it may not fit their roster-building ethos, it may be the year to do it. The 49ers have a handful of needs they could conceivably address at 63 overall, particularly if they don’t take an offensive lineman in the first round. Finding a starting-caliber CB to put alongside Ward and Deommodore Lenoir should be at least a medium-priority task if there’s no player available who can bolster San Francisco’s pass rush.

Building depth this year in the draft is paramount for the 49ers, but so is finding some upgrades at a couple starting spots. Cornerback is one of those spots, and we may see the 49ers pursue a player at that spot earlier than they ever have under Lynch and Shanahan.

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