The ending to the 49ers season was very painful.. It ended with a heartbreaking loss to the Rams where we blew a 10 point forth quarter lead to end a dominant 6 game win streak. Luckily, the 2022 NFL Draft is officially less than 3 months away!
To start, the 49ers enter the draft with 8 picks currently and likely more with the upcoming trade of Jimmy Garoppolo. They have a well built roster in that they either have an established veteran or a young player with upside at nearly all positions. Its been pretty impressive what the front office led by John Lynch has done to turn around a roster with nothing but weaknesses to a roster with maybe one hole at the corner position that is filled with potential.
Throughout this coverage there will be many prospect spotlights, talks of ways the niners can approach the draft, and some obsessive mock drafts. To kick off the coverage, here is a breakdown of their offense heading into next year with some insight on how they might approach the position in the draft. Oh, and my first mock draft of the year!
QB: Trey Lance Time! I am a huge believer in Lance. One thing that is always missed in the public draft analysis is what goes on inside the mind of these players. QBs need to have elite work ethics and high emotional intelligence. QBs with huge arms and great athleticism fail all the time while QBs who don’t posses high levels of talent find great success. To find a franchise guy, they need to have the film and they need to have the mindset. It takes both. Trey Lance has that. He is mature way beyond his years, he has an elite work ethic, and he tops that all off with an elite skillset. I feel the 49ers found a franchise guy and QB will be set for years to come. Clearly they aren’t drafting a QB.
RB: Elijah Mitchell is the real deal. He is the perfect RB for this team. 4.36 speed and he runs hard with good vision. The depth behind him is a question though. Sermon is the only other back under contract and he seemed like a bust year 1. Wilson and Mostert are UFAs and the team will likely bring one back but both have been injury prone. The team could also bring back Hasty and Cannon for some added depth. This feels like a position they will address with one of their many late round picks. Going into the season with this RB situation wouldn’t be ideal with how much the team will look to run too easy the transition to Lance.
FB: JUICE!
WR: Deebo finally had the breakout year we all knew he had in him. He is extremely talented but was often injured. This year he showed what a lot of fans felt he could do. Aiyuk had a, well, I’m not sure what happened to start the year, but he gained some playing time later and showed flashes of what he could be. Jauan Jennings had a mini breakout season of his own when you factor in his nonexistent expectations. Jennings was a player people felt were a 3rd round talent but they got him in the 7th round due to some off-field issues. He looks to be a big contributor going forward. Overall the team could use depth at this position. I’m not sure the draft is the best way to address this as the players they have are all young and outside of Deebo, lack consistency. Bringing in a veteran in the free agency makes sense but I wouldn’t rule out them drafting a receiver if someone falls to them in the draft. They could also take a late round flier at the position just to add to the depth at the position.
TE: Kittle is the best TE in the league. Period. End of discussion! I felt Woerner took a leap forward in 2021. He looked like he fit in as a blocking TE and the team showed that when Kittle goes down, they start spreading the ball to their WRs. This is another position they could address in the draft or free agency but I feel they see something in Woerner that makes them comfortable with him as their TE2.
OT: This position comes down to Mike McGlinchey and what is in store for him. He had a good sophomore season and then strung together a year and a half of poor performance before getting hurt this season. Does the team feel he is the future at RT? I’m not sure there is an answer for that right now but he is under contract for 2022 so it would be a surprise if they moved on. As an optimist I have faith he can turn it around but only time will tell. I’d be a little surprised if they addressed this position in the draft but at the end of the day, its not outside the realm of possibilities.
OG: Laken Tomlinson absolutely broke out and was named to the pro-bowl this week as a sub. He and Trent Williams held down the left side very well. Laken is a free agent but the team will likely prioritize him. Brunskill has held down the RG spot for two years now and is an RFA so it would be a little surprising to see him leave. They drafted Aaron Banks to replace Brunskill but he was completely non-existent this last year and a huge disappointment. This pick hurt a lot as he was taken in the 2nd round ahead of Creed Humphrey who looks like an absolutely stud in the iOL. This position could be addressed in the draft if they have given up on Banks already.
C: Alex Mack was such a blessing this last year but he is 36 and nearing the end of his career. I believe this is a spot they will look to target early in the draft to get a replacement for Mack assuming he doesn’t retire. If he does retire that will likely lead to them getting a veteran free agent instead.
Mock Draft:
- rd 2 pick 63 – Kaiir Elam – CB Florida – Elam is a 6’2″ corner who is best in zone but also does well in press man. He has NFL blood lines with a father and brother who played in the league. Elam would be a solid CB for years to come and would be ready year 1.
- rd 3 pick 93 – Boye Mafe – EDGE Minnesota – A project at the EDGE. He broke out with 6 sacks in 2021 and the sky is the limit. He has extreme athleticism with an 81″ wingspan. Just a freak athlete who is starting to reach his potential.
- rd 4 pick 132 – Tyrese Robinson – OG Oklahoma – An absolute mauler who has good athleticism. At 6’3″ and 337 pounds, he moves very well. A natural guard who played RT last year to help fill a team need. Performed very well at the position but length is a concern to play RT in the NFL and he could take over as RG from day 1.
- rd 5 pick 170 – Obinna Eze – OT TCU – A native of Nigeria who took to football later in life. He is 6’6″ 327 pounds and like Robinson, he is a great athlete for his size. You can tell I have a type. He was great his last year at TCU and fits the zone blocking scheme. He would be the perfect pick to sit on the bench for a year and develop as McGlinchey tries to prove himself in a contract year. If it doesn’t workout for McGlinchey, Eze would be able to take over in 2023.
- rd 6 pick 186 – Charlie Kolar – TE Iowa State – A solid TE throughout his career at Iowa State. He was the most reliable receiver for Brock Purdy this last year and would be a great addition to add depth at the position.
- rd 7 pick 250 – D’Vonte Price – RB FIU – This would be the perfect Shannahan pick. 215 pounds, high school track star. Size and speed is the teams type. He averaged over 100 yards a game rushing and was a great receiver, this was my favorite pick because of how much he fits with the team.
- rd 7 pick 253 – Leon O’Neal Jr. S Texas A&M – A highly touted recruit who never fully lived up to his potential. He started all of last year and played well. At the end of the day his game has some flaws but he has a great athletic profile and is a very hard nosed player. Another later round pick that would fit in with the scheme and the soul of the team.
Coming next: Defensive positional breakdown and a prediction on how the 49ers will approach the draft.
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