49ers' worst-case NFL draft scenario

[ASFN Admin]

The 2025 NFL draft is nearing where the San Francisco 49ers boast 11 selections, including four of the top 100 picks.

The 49ers' 2025 offseason has been primarily highlighted by San Francisco veterans heading elsewhere. After a limited number of NFL free agency moves by the 49ers, San Francisco still has plenty of needs in the upcoming draft from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.

The lack of moves in free agency definitely ramps up the importance of San Francisco getting this 2025 NFL draft right.

Pro Football Focus has an idea of the direction in which the 49ers should head. In its look at the worst-case 2025 NFL draft scenarios for every team, PFF's Bradley Locker writes that failing to double up on the defensive line would be the biggest mistake for San Francisco.

Not long ago the 49ers fielded one of the more impressive defensive lines in football. But as Robert Saleh begins his second tenure as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, that couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Nick Bosa remains one of the NFL’s most formidable defensive linemen, but there’s hardly any talent currently standing around him following the exits of Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins and Leonard Floyd. In fact, besides Bosa, no 49ers returning defensive lineman totaled even 25 quarterback pressures last season. San Francisco could use another dynamic edge defender as well as multiple effective players on the inside, and general manager John Lynch would be smart to take one of each before the end of Day 2. - Locker, Pro Football Focus.

San Francisco owns the No. 11 overall selection where the 49ers should have a wealth of options to find either an edge rusher or interior defensive lineman.

Names to watch could include edge rushers Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M, Mike Green from Marshall, Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College and James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee. If the 49ers opt for the interior of their defense, defensive tackles such as Ole Miss' Walter Nolen, Michigan's Kenneth Grant, Oregon's Derrick Harmon or South Carolina's T.J. Sanders.

Whether it's with both of their first two selections or with two of their top 100 picks, a pair of selections to bolster the defensive line with young playmakers would be a welcome sight.

Though franchise left tackle Trent Williams is confirmed for a return in 2025, San Francisco has often been linked to offensive tackles in many of the mock drafts building up to the draft in April. Cornerback and linebacker are other position groups to watch for the 49ers in the upcoming NFL draft.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers' worst-case NFL draft scenario

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