How NFL experts predict 49ers will use No. 31 draft pick

How NFL experts predict 49ers will use No. 31 draft pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

With the 2024 NFL Draft now just weeks away, the 49ers have a flurry of important decisions to make to bolster their roster for the upcoming season.

San Francisco owns 10 total picks in this month’s draft, which includes a fourth-round pick it received from the Dallas Cowboys in last summer’s Trey Lance trade and four compensatory selections.

While 49ers general manager John Lynch and Co. will address several positions of need with their 10 selections, their opening focus will be on their 31st pick when Round 1 begins April 27 in Detroit.

Here is how NFL experts project the 49ers will use their first-round pick:

Pick: OL Jordan Morgan, Arizona

“The 49ers might be wise to add to their OL depth. Morgan was a left tackle in college and might one day play there in the NFL, even if his shorter frame has a lot of teams projecting him inside. There’s a need there in San Francisco.”

Pick: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia

“It seems like the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk are moving further apart in contract negotiations with each passing day. If he is traded before or during the draft, San Francisco may try to address the position in the first round. McConkey gives Kyle Shanahan a great separator, something the 49ers sorely needed in the Super Bowl against man coverage, and insurance if Aiyuk isn’t on the roster this year or next.”

Pick: DB Cooper DeJean, Iowa

“Iowa’s Cooper DeJean possesses a skill set that makes for an unclear projection heading into the NFL. He certainly could thrive as a hybrid safety with his effectiveness as a slot defender and physicality in run support.

“Yet, he could project as an effective zone corner on the outside, which fits the Niners’ zone-heavy defensive scheme. DeJean has exceptional ball skills and can scream downhill when the action unfolds in front of him.

“Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga make for a potentially great starting safety tandem moving…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-experts-predict-49ers-no-194718931.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-04-01 19:47:18

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