Tag: San Francisco 49ers

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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Patience a virtue for 49ers in 2024 draft

Why one draft analyst believes patience is key for the #49ers in this year’s draft.

There’s certainly a world where the 49ers get aggressive and start flying up the board in this year’s draft. Having patience may wind up being a better path forward for them though given where their roster stands and some of the needs they have beyond their starting 22 on offense and defense. Patience may be a better avenue for them this year, especially if they’re looking to build out another Super Bowl contender in a new Super Bowl window beyond the one they’re currently operating in.

NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is on board with a patient approach for the 49ers given how deep this year’s class is at some key positions. While the 31st overall pick may keep them from landing a blue chip talent at a premium position, it will also give them a chance to add quality depth in  areas their roster is lacking without trading up.

“I mean, they’ve got a nice haul of picks here. If they want to move up, they absolutely have the ammunition to do so,” Jeremiah said Wednesday in a conference call. “I just think when you look at the needs that they have and some of the different areas that they could go, if you’re thinking about corners and edge rushers, maybe you miss out on the top tier. Interior offensive linemen, grabbing a wide receiver if they want one. I still
think there will be a quality corner there, personally, even though some of the
top guys might go. I don’t really see them in a position where they need to do
that.

“I think this is more filling out your roster, getting a layer of depth. They have the stars in place so I don’t think they’re in a position where they have a must, ‘hey, we’ve got to get up there. We must get this accomplished.’ I
don’t feel like they’re in that spot here. I think they can be a little more patient
than that.”

The 49ers’ front office is one that won’t hesitate to move up when it finds a player it likes. It’ll also climb up to attack a very obvious, glaring need. They may or may not feel that way about their offensive tackle situation, but it’s clear they can come away from the 2024 draft with a successful haul without a major move up the board.

Sitting and waiting may be tough given how close the team is to getting over the hump for a Super Bowl, but the potential long-term gain would be worth that patience.

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49ers could be eyeing next great late-round running back

This is an interesting RB prospect for the #49ers.

The 49ers don’t need to change their running back room to remain competitive in the 2024 season. However, bolstering the position would make sense in this year’s draft both for short-term depth and potential long-term starting options for the post-Christian McCaffrey era.

It’s clear San Francisco won’t need to pick a RB early. In fact, there may be a fan revolt if they do given their lack of success with RBs selected before the sixth round under head coach Kyle Shanahan. One late-round prospect who could make sense for them is Memphis’ Blake Watson, who had a virtual meeting with San Francisco according to the Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Watson, 24, measured in at 5-9, 200 pounds at his Pro Day after not being invited to the NFL combine. He also clocked a 4.40 40-yard dash, which is a really good number given how hard-nosed he runs. His speed doesn’t pop on tape, but he runs well through contact and doesn’t often get knocked backwards thanks to a compact frame.

It took Watson awhile to get going in college. He redshirted his first year at Old Dominion, then had a relatively unproductive second year before the pandemic ended his 2020 season before it could start. In 2021 he broke out for ODU with 1,112 yards and 8 touchdowns on 215 carries. The following year he backed it up with 916 yards and five touchdowns on 158 attempts.

The 2022 season was particularly intriguing though because he caught 33 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. That pass-catching element stuck with him last year after he transferred to Memphis. With the Tigers he posted 192 carries, a career-best 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, while also tacking on 53 receptions for 480 yards and three scores through the air.

Without the pass-catching, Watson probably isn’t a prospect the 49ers are looking very closely at. However, if he can prove to be a reliable NFL pass catcher it could make him extremely valuable as a late-round pick.

There are plenty of question marks about whether Watson’s athleticism can hold up in the NFL. His late breakout at a small school like Old Dominion is also a pretty significant cause for concern.

The 49ers have done a nice job identifying talented backs late on Day 3 or as undrafted free agents. If they like Watson enough to make him a sixth or seventh-round choice, it’s easy to see how he could carve out a role in their offense.

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49ers were ahead of curve on NFL uniform changes

NFL teams are learning a lesson the 49ers learned almost 20 years ago.

The 49ers aren’t likely to undergo a major uniform rebrand any time soon because they did what had to happen a long time ago.

As some NFL teams wade through the muck of altered uniforms that feature different color shades, weird fonts, strange gradients, unnecessary piping and other bells and whistles, they’re finding a reversion back to a more classic look will almost always win over fansmore than something ‘new and improved.’

The Jets and Lions most recently announced new uniforms that resemble the more classic looks of the teams’ pasts.

The Jaguars have not only simplified their uniforms recently, but they also teased some kind of reversion to their original uniforms with an alternate jersey for this season. The Cardinals did something similar last season. The Vikings did the same in 2013.

The 49ers in 1998 strayed from their classic red home jerseys and white road jerseys with gold pants, and opted instead for a deeper red jersey with a slew of different accoutrements including a black shadowing on the numbers with some gold trim, different color helmet and face mask, and a logo on the pants. It was a perfectly late-90s style, but it diverted from a classic look and aged poorly.

San Francisco from time to time for the next 10 years would rock a throwback alternate that was ostensibly the uniforms they wear now. In 2009 they finally went back to the classic look permanently, learning a lesson a slew of teams are only now learning – nostalgia plays and simpler is better.

That’s a key reason their red and white alternates that are a reproduction of the throwbacks they wore in 1994 when they rocked a version of their 1955 uniforms. First, they look incredible. But there’s also a ton of nostalgia for the mid-90s and there’s a simplicity that makes them timeless.

The 49ers organization saved itself a lot of angst by avoiding the pitfalls of trying to innovate after their shift in the late-90s. They went right back to what works after a decade. Now other teams are following suit and the NFL will be better (at least aesthetically) for it.

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Finding heir apparent to George Kittle may be impossible in 2024 draft

This may not be the year for the 49ers to go find a high-quality backup TE who can be the heir apparent to George Kittle.

Tight end has been an interesting position for the 49ers the last several years. Atop their depth chart has been perhaps the best all-around player at the position with George Kittle. Behind him has been a bit of a mess. San Francisco has had some quality blockers come through, but finding a quality pass catcher to really take advantage of multiple-TE sets has been a problem. With Kittle entering his 30s, that backup TE is also a player the club will look at as a successor to the do-everything All-Pro.

According to NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, this is not a good year for them to try to find that player. In a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Jeremiah laid out a grim picture of the 2024 tight end class.

“Well, they want their tight ends to be able to block and be a part of that process,” Jeremiah said of the 49ers. “So, unfortunately, with today’s college game, that lops off a good chunk of them. But Cade Stover from Ohio State would be one. That would be one who’s got some ruggedness and some toughness to him. That could kind of fit the mold a little bit there. That would be one name I’d throw out there.”

Stover is a projected third- or fourth-round pick, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. He posted 77 receptions for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games the last two years for the Buckeyes. Pro Football Focus graded him out as an average overall blocker the last two years, but his size and playing style indicate he has some upside there.

Perhaps the 49ers really like Stover or another tight end more than Jeremiah thinks they might, but it doesn’t appear this will be a good year for San Francisco to land the high-quality TE2 that has long eluded them.

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Brandon Aiyuk’s camp publicly refutes another trade rumor

Another Brandon Aiyuk trade rumor shot down by Aiyuk’s agent.

Another Brandon Aiyuk trade rumor has been publicly denied by the wide receiver’s agent. After an author at a website that covers the Pittsburgh Steelers reported that a person inside the Steelers building would be shocked if the team didn’t trade for Aiyuk, Aiyuk’s agent Ryan Williams took to the internet to dispute the report.

“Another ‘report’ that couldn’t be more incorrect,” Williams wrote on Twitter. “Fictional ‘journalism’ should really stop.”

It’s interesting that Williams is coming out publicly and doing this. Another random Twitter user ‘reported’ that an Aiyuk trade was in the works and Williams shot that one down too.

Perhaps he’s just looking out for his client. Maybe he’s just really anti-false reporting. Conventional wisdom says trade rumors muddying the waters might help a player in negotiations. Granted, a team knows what clubs are and are not calling so it’s hard to imagine San Francisco getting scared off by a rumor involving them.

Still, this may be a matter of the 49ers and Aiyuk’s camp being on good terms heading into negotiations on a long-term extension. Aiyuk is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract in 2024.

Trade rumors swirling may be perceived by the 49ers as Aiyuk’s camp trying to leak information to help them in those negotiations. By publicly denying the rumors Williams removes himself from being the possible culprit behind the reports.

Ultimately for 49ers fans worried Aiyuk may get dealt, seeing his agent deny even flimsy report from smaller-profile reporters has to be good news.

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49ers NFL draft moves hinge on RT Colton McKivitz

Everything is on the table for the #49ers in the first round of this year’s draft, and how they move will come down to … Colton McKivitz.

This year’s NFL draft should tell us a lot about how the 49ers view the value of a stout offensive line, and how much they believe right tackle Colton McKivitz will realistically improve over the offseason.

Most of the consensus on the 49ers’ needs, including this website, puts offensive tackle as the clear-cut top priority. It’s hard to imagine San Francisco doesn’t view its roster the same way.

However, while most mock drafts have the 49ers either trading up or reaching for an OT prospect at the end of Round 1, there’s a pretty easy path to draw where San Francisco opts to improve its long-term outlook over finding an upgrade at right tackle and/or heir apparent to left tackle Trent Williams. Their willingness and desire to trade up will come entirely down to how the team feels about McKivitz internally. They signed him to a two-year, $4.56 million extension last offseason, and then gave him an additional one-year extension this offseason worth up to $7 million. Those dollar amounts don’t necessarily tell us one way or the other what the team believes they’ll get from the 28-year-old moving forward.

If the club is out on McKivitz’s long-term outlook at tackle, history tells us they’ll make a big move to find his replacement.

They did so when they traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts in 2020 and immediately snagged his replacement, Javon Kinlaw, with the pick they acquired from Indianapolis. That same year they badly needed help in their receiving corps, so they traded up in the back of Round 1 to pick WR Brandon Aiyuk. Then when they needed a long-term answer at QB, they took the biggest swing in team history to move up to the No. 3 overall pick to draft Trey Lance.

This is a front office that isn’t afraid to jump up in the draft, but more recent history tells us they’ll only do so to address a glaring need. If they believe McKivitz is a player they simply can’t move forward with, then we should expect San Francisco to be aggressive in pursuing a trade up to find one of a deep OT class’s top players.

On the other hand, they may not view McKivitz as the kind of player who needs to be immediately replaced. He wasn’t great in 2023, but he was also not an abomination that needs replacing or it will derail the 49ers’ entire season. Adding competition there instead of handing him the job like they did last year may be enough to make the club feel good about its right tackle situation heading into camp. In this scenario, it’s hard to envision San Francisco making a significant jump up the board.

As with all things there’s a gray area between the two extremes that the 49ers may also be hoping to fall in. They could also be okay with McKivitz, but eager to add high-end competition for him where they’re happy to sit at No. 31 and take the best OT that happens to fall to them. In that case they’re adding a potential starter, but they’re using just one pick to acquire that player which makes it more palatable if they’re unable to beat out McKivitz on Day 1.

The 49ers won’t divulge their plans and in the lead up to the draft on April 25 there’ll be plenty of connections between San Francisco and any tackle prospect that may slide outside the top 15 or so. How the team moves in this year’s three-day selection process could make or break their hopes to extend their Super Bowl window, and for now it appears those moves will come down to how they feel about McKivitz.

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Kendrick Bourne continuing to recruit Brandon Aiyuk to Patriots

Kendrick Bourne is pulling out all of the stops to recruit Brandon Aiyuk to New England

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has already tried recruiting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Patriots. However, Bourne ramped up his recruitment over the weekend.

There was an initial report that Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers. However, the wide receiver’s agent shut down the report. There have been rumors surrounding the wide receiver ever since the beginning of this off-season, and he has been linked as a player the Patriots could potentially show interest in, if the 49ers are willing to trade him.

Aiyuk could provide a spark to the Patriots’ passing game. He tallied 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He would immediately become New England’s top wide receiver, and he would give them that playmaking weapon they have been missing over the years.

In the meantime, Bourne has been hard at work trying his best to recruit the wideout.

It may seem like a bit of a longshot, especially given New England’s offseason strategy and trends to this point. Nevertheless, the draft is coming up. The organization has the draft capital to make something big happen.

Now, it’s up to them to seize the opportunity.

NFL draft: Never rule out 49ers adding DL help

A draft analyst took the 49ers out of the running for one of the draft’s top edge rushers. We are going to go ahead and not do that based on everything we know about the 49ers.

Never underestimate the 49ers’ desire to bolster their defensive line. A handful of free agency moves that saw the club add a pair of defensive ends and a pair of defensive tackles might have pushed the defensive front down their perceived list of needs, but San Francisco’s front office isn’t above continuing to add there.

A recent report from draft analyst Tony Pauline indicated the 49ers would be out on Western Michigan pass rusher Marshawn Kneeland because the club signed Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency.

We’re going to go ahead and rebut the argument (from Pauline or anyone else) that the 49ers can be crossed off the list of teams that might be interested in Kneeland in the second round (or possibly late in the first round) of this year’s draft, because the 49ers can never have enough pass rush help.

When the club was in pursuit of then-Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack, general manager John Lynch said pass rush was as important to a defense as the quarterback is to an offense. The team has continued prioritizing their pass rush throughout Lynch’s tenure with head coach Kyle Shanahan. They drafted Nick Bosa No. 2 overall in 2019. They traded for DE Dee Ford that same offseason. In 2022 they used a second-round pick on USC DE Drake Jackson. Last year they spent a fifth-round choice on Georgia DE Robert Beal. All the while they’ve added low-risk, high-reward free agents at those spots as well.

Floyd and Gross-Matos should help a 49ers pass rush that sorely lacked in production last year, but history tells us a couple of veteran free agent additions won’t stop San Francisco from adding more depth, particularly if they believe that player can be a starter over the long-term. A player like Kneeland (or pick your favorite DE in this year’s class) wouldn’t have much competition for snaps right away since Gross-Matos figures to play inside some of the time and neither Jackson nor Beal are proven commodities at the NFL level.

It’s entirely conceivable the 49ers view DE as one of their top needs for this year and in the future. They might even use a first-round pick there depending on how the board shakes out. Of course, there are other positions San Francisco could spend its first couple selection on, but the defensive line is always a spot they’ll look to improve and ruling them out of the sweepstakes for one of the draft’s top edge rushers isn’t something we’re willing to do.

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49ers sign veteran TE Eric Saubert to one-year contract

The 49ers added a new face to their tight end room with the addition of a veteran free agent.

Last week, the San Francisco 49ers missed on signing tight end Brock Wright when the Detroit Lions matched the 49ers’ offer sheet for the restricted free agent. On Monday, the 49ers turned their attention back to the tight end room with the addition of a veteran free agent.

On Monday, the 49ers announced the signing of tight end Eric Saubert to a one-year contract.

Via @MaioccoNBCS on Twitter:

In 2017, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Saubert in the fifth round out of Drake. Since being drafted by Atlanta, Saubert has bounced around the NFL, playing for nine different teams before signing with the 49ers.

Last season, Saubert was initially signed by the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. After being released by the Dolphins in August, Saubert went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad before signing with the Houston Texas in late October.

In 2023, with the Cowboys and Texans, Saubert recorded three catches for 12 yards in 10 games. Saubert has 36 receptions for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 84 career games.

Saubert will round out the 49ers’ tight end depth chart behind George Kittle, which also features sophomores Brayden Willis and Cam Latu.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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