Tag: 49ers roster

Instant analysis: Will 4th-round pick RB Isaac Guerendo play right away for 49ers?

Can 49ers 4th-round RB Isaac Guerendo break a troubling NFL draft trend for San Francisco?

49ers fans may be holding their collective breath after the team traded up to select running back Isaac Guerendo in the fourth round of this year’s draft. San Francisco ditched a pair of fifth-round picks to jump up to 129th overall pick where they snagged the super-athletic Louisville product.

Running backs taken before Round 6 haven’t had much success in the Kyle Shanahan era. Joe Williams, Trey Sermon and Ty Davis-Price were all selected in Round 3 or 4 and all three flamed out before getting a real shot at playing for the club.

Guerendo could certainly change that though.

He wasn’t a star in college, playing 27 games without a start in five seasons with Wisconsin before transferring to Louisville. With the Badgers he had 99 carries for 582 yards and six touchdowns. Injuries limited him a lot in those seasons. He dealt with two hamstring injuries and a foot injury that lost him for 23 games in three years.

The Cardinals utilized him more though as he got healthy, but he still started only one of the 13 games he played for them. Last season he posted 132 carries, 810 yards and 11 touchdowns while hauling in 22 catches for 234 yards.

His athleticism is evident in the way he moves through and around contact, but he still has plenty of speed to hit home runs.

There’ll be stiff competition for snaps behind Christian McCaffrey with Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason both in the mix. Availability has been an issue for Mitchell though and Mason hasn’t been able to consistently get on the field for offensive snaps. If Guerendo can reliably pass block and catch passes he could push for snaps as a secondary or tertiary option right away,  and he could shoot up the depth chart in future years with Mitchell and Mason both heading for free agency next offseason.

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Instant analysis: Why 49ers added S Malik Mustapha in Round 4 of NFL draft

Why’d the #49ers draft a safety? Because getting cheaper at that position may be key over the next couple years:

The 49ers brought in more safety help with the 124th overall pick in this year’s draft by taking Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha. That selection illustrates what changes are likely coming in San Francisco’s secondary.

Mustapha plays an instinctive, hard-hitting style that should fit nicely long-term alongside 2023 third-round pick Ji’Ayir Brown. With cap space likely to be tight for awhile, the chances the 49ers are able to sign former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga this offseason could dwindle if he bounces back strong from a torn ACL.

There could be a bag waiting for Hufanga in unrestricted free agency that prices him out of what the 49ers can afford. Having young, cost-controlled starting safeties will be key to solidifying the back end of their defense.

If Mustapha brings the physicality he played with in college he should quickly find a home in San Francisco.

The snaps won’t be there right away though. The 49ers are anticipating Hufanga will be back from his torn ACL during training camp, and the other starting job is carved out for Brown. Contributions from the fourth-round safety may be limited to special teams this year, but he has plenty of experience there so he should be able to help on those coverage teams while the team grooms him as their starting strong safety of the future.

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49ers add secondary help, select Wake Forest S Malik Mustapha with 124th overall pick

The pick is in! It’s a hard-hitting safety for the 49ers at No. 124 overall.

The 49ers added more help to their secondary with their first pick in the fourth round of this year’s draft. At pick No. 124 they took Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha. The 49ers acquired this selection in the trade that sent quarterback Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys.

Mustapha is in a similar mold to 49ers second-round pick Renardo Green in that he doesn’t bring ideal measurables, but he plays extremely hard and brings a ton of physicality at safety.

He began his college career at the University of Richmond, but transferred to Wake Forest after one year. In three years at Wake Forest Mustapha played in 35 games with 23 starts. He posted 175 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions with the Demon Deacons.

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Updated 49ers Day 3 draft picks after pair of Day 2 trades

Here’s an updated list of the #49ers Day 3 draft picks after a couple of Day 2 trades:

The 49ers got active on Day 2 of the NFL draft with one trade in each round.

In the second round San Francisco slid down one spot in a swap with the Chiefs that also included a swap of Day 3 picks. Then in the third round the 49ers got aggressive and traded up to No. 86 in a deal with the Eagles that included the 49ers’ third-round pick and a fourth-round choice.

After the dust settled, here’s where San Francisco stands with its picks heading into Day 3, which features Rounds 4-7:

Round 1, Pick 31: WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida
Round 2, Pick 64: CB Renardo Green, Florida State
Round 3, Pick 86: OL Dominick Puni, Kansas
Round 4, Pick 124 (via DAL)
Round 4, Pick 135
Round 5, Pick 173 (via KC)
Round 5, Pick 176 (Compensatory)
Round 6, Pick 215 (Compensatory)
Round 7, Pick 251 (Compensatory)

The 49ers have checked their major needs in the draft with some offensive line help, secondary help and wide receiver depth. There’s still plenty of work to do at running back, tight end and on the defensive line. More offensive line help wouldn’t hurt either.

Day 3 of the draft should be fun for the 49ers. They hold six picks, but it’s hard to imagine they use them all so some more trades could be in the works.

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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 trade up in Round 3, select Kansas OL Dominick Puni

The 49ers traded up! This time they add offensive line help.

After trading down in Round 2, the 49ers traded up in Round 3 to take Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni at No. 86 overall.

San Francisco sent the 94th overall pick, and the 132nd overall pick (one of their three Round 4 choices) to the Eagles in exchange for the 86th selection.

Puni spent most of his college career at tackle, but most draft analysts believe he’ll kick inside to guard as a pro. He has the size to play either at 6-5, 313 pounds. The 49ers would be happy for him to become a starter at either spot.

He played in 47 games with 43 starts across six college seasons. Puni began his college career at with four seasons at Central Missouri before transferring to Kansas where he started all 25 games he played. He started 12 games at left guard in 2022 before jumping out to left tackle and starting all 13 games in 2023.

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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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49ers trade down with Chiefs in Round 2 of the NFL draft, pick CB Renardo Green

The #49ers traded down in the second round and picked a cornerback.

The 49ers traded back one spot from the No. 63 pick in this year’s draft and selected Florida State cornerback Renardo Green with the final pick in the second round.

They sent pick Nos. 63 and 211 in the sixth round to the Chiefs in exchange for No. 64 and No. 173 in the fifth round.

San Francisco maintains its 10 picks in this year’s draft and slides up into the fifth round while moving back just one spot in the second round.

Green is an interesting prospect who measured in at 6-foot, 191 pounds at Florida State’s Pro Day. His athleticism doesn’t jump of the screen, but his hard-nosed playing style does. It’s clear why the 49ers liked him despite his lack of top-end physical tools.

In five seasons Green played 52 games with 32 starts. He put up 148 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks, while notching 23 pass breakups and just one interception.

He figures to compete for a starting outside CB job right away.

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Report: 49ers likely to trade Deebo Samuel

The Ricky Pearsall pick means the 49ers are likely to trade Deebo Samuel per Mike Silver:

The 49ers don’t need to trade one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel this offseason. However, in the aftermath of the team selecting Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall with the 31st overall pick in this year’s draft, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting the 49ers will likely trade Samuel.

This comes on the heels of reporting from Silver prior to the draft that said the 49ers would need to be “blown away by an offer” to move on from Samuel. It appears the sentiment inside the building changed after Pearsall dropped to San Francisco at the end of Round 1. Silver wrote in a column at the Chronicle that a deal could come together before Day 2 of the draft kicks off at 4:00pm Pacific Time on Friday.

It’s unclear why the 49ers would move Samuel this year when they can afford to keep him and Aiyuk on an extension. Next season the financial waters get a little more muddy.

If San Francisco does pull the trigger on a Samuel trade it would thrust Pearsall immediately into the spotlight as the 49ers’ No. 2 wide receiver. That’s certainly the long-term plan for him regardless, but asking him to fill Samuel’s shoes as a rookie is a tough ask. Trading Samuel would be a bad idea, but it looks like the 49ers are on the verge of making such a maneuver.

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