Tag: NFL Draft Picks

1 big offensive adjustment 49ers must make in final 3 games of 2024 season

It’s Ricky Pearsall time.

With the postseason all but out of their grasp, the San Francisco 49ers can now start operating with the 2025 season in mind.

That doesn’t mean the dreaded ‘tank’ where the team tries losing games to improve its draft position. It does mean they should be looking to see exactly what they have with some of the players on their roster in the final three games.

One key adjustment they need to make while turning their sights toward 2025 and beyond is getting first-round wide receiver Ricky Pearsall more involved in the offense.

Pearsall this season has 24 targets in eight games, but after earning six targets in Week 10, he has only nine targets in the five games since. Overall he’s turned his opportunities into 13 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday told reporters he’s happy with the rookie now that he’s getting a regular chance to play and practice.

“I think Ricky’s doing a hell of a job,” Shanahan said. “I know everyone talks about the gunshot wound, but what people don’t realize is, I think I said a couple weeks ago, but he only had three practices before that gunshot wound. He missed all OTAs and all of training camp and then to get that gunshot basically went from Florida to us halfway through the season. So, I thought he did a hell of a job coming back from that, trying to learn and practice as he goes. He’s been banged up a little bit, started in Green Bay. I think he’s fought through that here the last couple weeks. I thought he did some real good stuff on tape last week. He had a couple big catches. I think he’s going the right direction and hope it keeps improving here these next three games.”

One way to ensure he’s improving is trying to get him the ball more often. In that Week 10 game where he had six targets, Pearsall hauled in four of them for 73 yards and a touchdown. His absence from the offense may just be a result of the injury issues Shanahan mentioned, but that’s something they need to resolve before the season ends.

Pearsall is a key piece of their receiving corps in the future and ironing out a more accurate trajectory for his immediate future will play a significant role in how the 49ers should operate in the offseason.

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3 more 49ers draft picks officially sign rookie contracts

The #49ers have now signed 5 members of their 2024 draft class.

Three more 49ers draft picks have signed their rookie contracts the team announced Friday. Offensive lineman Dominick Puni, safety Malik Mustapha and linebacker Tatum Bethune all signed their four-year contracts, bringing the total to six draft picks of San Francisco’s eight-player class to ink their standard rookie deals.

Cornerback Renardo Green, running back Isaac Guerendo and wide receiver Jacob Cowing all signed their deals Thursday, but the team officially announced them with Puni and Bethune.

WR Ricky Pearsall and OL Jarrett Kingston remain unsigned, although whether they sign is largely a formality since the years and dollars are pre-set.

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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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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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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:

Instant analysis: Can 7th-round LB Tatum Bethune carve out role in Year 1?

Did the #49ers draft their next great starting LB in the 7th round?

There was already going to be a bit of a logjam for the 49ers at linebacker, and now their LB room is more crowded after the club selected Florida State’s Tatum Bethune with their final pick (251 overall) in this year’s draft.

Bethune fits the mold to play the Will linebacker spot in the 49ers’ defense. He’s 5-11, 229 pounds, but it’s not evident from watching him where he flies around and sticks his nose in with force against the run. There is plenty of athleticism and instinct in coverage to believe Bethune could become a viable coverage option as a pro. He also had good ball production in college with 14 pass breakups and four interceptions.

The problem for him finding his way onto the roster is that he’ll have Fred Warner and De’Vondre Campbell ahead of him on the depth chart. Veteran Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is also back, along with second-year LBs Dee Winters and Jalen Graham. Dre Greenlaw’s status is uncertain after he tore his Achilles in the Super Bowl, but he could return in the 2024 campaign.

Bethune’s path to a roster spot will start on special teams, but he’ll have an opportunity during his rookie year to place himself as a potential long-term starting option in the event Greenlaw doesn’t re-sign with the 49ers this offseason. To get there though he’ll need to outperform both Winters and Graham who looked good in preseason action last year.

There are plenty of tools for Bethune to become a starting LB in the NFL. Now he has to prove it in a crowded, but largely unproven LB room.

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49ers final pick in 2024 NFL draft is LB Tatum Bethune

The final pick is in for the #49ers in the 2024 NFL draft!

The 49ers wrapped up their 2024 NFL draft by selecting Florida State linebacker Tatum Bethune with the 251st overall pick.

Bethune is a very 49ers linebacker prospect in that he’s undersized with good athleticism and a ton of aggression that allows him to play bigger than his 5-11, 229-pound frame.

Before joining Florida State, Bethune played for three seasons at the University of Central Florida where he played in 35 games with 17 starts. With the Seminoles he started 21 of the 26 games he played.

In his 61 college games Bethune posted 339 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 14 pass breakups and four interceptions.

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