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With a little more than a week left until the NFL draft, the Athletic's Dane Brugler dropped a seven-round mock that included a full-circle moment for the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers were regularly connected to Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart early in the NFL draft process. That buzz has died down some as the process has gone on, but Stewart was back on the board for San Francisco in Brugler's projection. He's one of three defensive linemen they select. They also grab a couple of offensive linemen and bolster depth at key spots on their roster.
We graded each pick based on the player fit, round and the need for the 49ers:
The hope here is that Stewart's off-the-charts athleticism and measurables translate to production in the NFL. He struggled to finish sacks in college and posted only 4.5 (1.5 in each season) across his three college seasons. Perhaps he hits the ground running as a pro. There may be a learning curve that limits his ability to get on the field early. Still, his measurables all say "Hall of Famer" and he plays a key position of need for the 49ers.
Grade: B-
If the 49ers are going to take a linebacker this early it has to be a player who can start as the Will LB right away. Schwesinger seems to fit that bill. He's a good athlete who should be able to stay on the field for all three downs. His final season at UCLA was super impressive with 136 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three pass breakups and two interceptions.
Grade: A-
There's a case to be made the 49ers should forego an offensive tackle early and take a project later on. Belton fits that mold. He's massive at 6-6, 336 pounds. He spent two years at Georgia Military College before transferring to NC State where he started 32 of the 38 games he played across his final three seasons. There's a chance he steps in as the swing tackle right away to replace Jaylon Moore where he can start developing as a potential long-term replacement for Trent Williams.
Grade: C+
Double-dipping on the defensive line on the first two days is a good idea. Ideally a prospect would jump out for the 49ers earlier than the 100th pick, but Norman-Lott can play. He started only four of the 44 games he played during three seasons with Arizona State and two with Tennessee. Norman-Lott measured in at his Pro Day at 6-1, 303 pounds, and he has great length with 33 3/4-inch arms. His energy jumps off the tape and it's easy to see where he can fit in as a rotational player on Day 1.
Grade: A
If the 49ers are looking for a hard-nosed, physical runner to replace Jordan Mason, Martinez may be their best option in this year's draft. He measured in at the combine at 5-11, 217 pounds and averaged more than 6.0 yards per carry during his two years at Oregon State and one season at Miami. This isn't too early to pick a running back and Martinez could take on a third RB role with a chance for more work if Christian McCaffrey or Isaac Guerendo is unavailable. This is a good match of player quality and positional fit.
Grade: A
This is a good range for a cornerback, too. Kone may not be ready to start right away, but he has measurables worth betting on. He's 6-1, 190 pounds and he clocked a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He spent two years at Western Michigan after spending one year at Indiana State. Before that he played for two years at a junior college. During his three seasons with Indiana State and Western Michigan he had 146 tackles, 24 pass breakups and two interceptions. Ideally Kone would start right away. As a late fourth-round pick the 49ers can afford to let him develop.
Grade: B
This is an interesting evaluation for the 49ers. Johnson is way more talented than a mid-Day 3 pick. However, his 5-9, 154-pound frame may be disqualifying for some teams. Despite his size he posted 169 catches for 2,080 yards and 20 touchdowns over his two seasons with the Ducks. That's enough to be intriguing, and at the 147th pick it's a nice gamble for the 49ers who may need some WR help depending on how healthy that group is. Still, his size is a major question mark in a receiving corps already full of those heading into 2025.
Grade: C
Stingers up.
Grade: A+
(Editor's note: Editor attended Sac Stateand wanted to do the above little joke. Slater primarily played left guard for the Hornets. The Athletic's Dane Brugler projects him as a center, which would mean a period of transition would be required from Slater in the pros. If he winds up being their long-term center, this is a huge win. There may not be many contributions from him right away, though. Actual grade: C)
Any time a team can double up on Jacksons, they should. It appears from Hawes' athletic profile that he could be in line for a Charlie Woerner-like role. He was with Yale for four years before transferring to Georgia Tech for his final college season. Hawes in 41 college games caught 51 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns. His receiving production doesn't give much hope for upside there which means he's another blocking-only TE.
Grade: C-
It makes sense that the 49ers would take a QB late. They'd love to find a team-controlled backup for Brock Purdy. The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote that Brosmer has "above-average post-snap processing to find correct read," and that he is a "highly efficient intermediate-level passer." Those are two things 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will love.
Grade: B
Simmons played a lot of football. He played in 55 games with eight starts across six seasons for the Volunteers. He measured at 6-1, 334 pounds. His production is lacking with only 59 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. A third defensive lineman makes sense, but Simmons may have an uphill climb to a rotation spot with the 49ers.
Grade: D
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL mock draft: Grading 49ers picks in Dane Brugler 7-round projection
Continue reading...
The 49ers were regularly connected to Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart early in the NFL draft process. That buzz has died down some as the process has gone on, but Stewart was back on the board for San Francisco in Brugler's projection. He's one of three defensive linemen they select. They also grab a couple of offensive linemen and bolster depth at key spots on their roster.
We graded each pick based on the player fit, round and the need for the 49ers:
Round 1, Pick 11: DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
The hope here is that Stewart's off-the-charts athleticism and measurables translate to production in the NFL. He struggled to finish sacks in college and posted only 4.5 (1.5 in each season) across his three college seasons. Perhaps he hits the ground running as a pro. There may be a learning curve that limits his ability to get on the field early. Still, his measurables all say "Hall of Famer" and he plays a key position of need for the 49ers.
Grade: B-
Round 2, Pick 43: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
If the 49ers are going to take a linebacker this early it has to be a player who can start as the Will LB right away. Schwesinger seems to fit that bill. He's a good athlete who should be able to stay on the field for all three downs. His final season at UCLA was super impressive with 136 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three pass breakups and two interceptions.
Grade: A-
Round 3, Pick 75: OT Anthony Belton, NC State
There's a case to be made the 49ers should forego an offensive tackle early and take a project later on. Belton fits that mold. He's massive at 6-6, 336 pounds. He spent two years at Georgia Military College before transferring to NC State where he started 32 of the 38 games he played across his final three seasons. There's a chance he steps in as the swing tackle right away to replace Jaylon Moore where he can start developing as a potential long-term replacement for Trent Williams.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick 100: DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee
Double-dipping on the defensive line on the first two days is a good idea. Ideally a prospect would jump out for the 49ers earlier than the 100th pick, but Norman-Lott can play. He started only four of the 44 games he played during three seasons with Arizona State and two with Tennessee. Norman-Lott measured in at his Pro Day at 6-1, 303 pounds, and he has great length with 33 3/4-inch arms. His energy jumps off the tape and it's easy to see where he can fit in as a rotational player on Day 1.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 113: RB Damien Martinez, Miami
If the 49ers are looking for a hard-nosed, physical runner to replace Jordan Mason, Martinez may be their best option in this year's draft. He measured in at the combine at 5-11, 217 pounds and averaged more than 6.0 yards per carry during his two years at Oregon State and one season at Miami. This isn't too early to pick a running back and Martinez could take on a third RB role with a chance for more work if Christian McCaffrey or Isaac Guerendo is unavailable. This is a good match of player quality and positional fit.
Grade: A
Round 4, Pick 138: CB Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
This is a good range for a cornerback, too. Kone may not be ready to start right away, but he has measurables worth betting on. He's 6-1, 190 pounds and he clocked a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He spent two years at Western Michigan after spending one year at Indiana State. Before that he played for two years at a junior college. During his three seasons with Indiana State and Western Michigan he had 146 tackles, 24 pass breakups and two interceptions. Ideally Kone would start right away. As a late fourth-round pick the 49ers can afford to let him develop.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 147: WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
This is an interesting evaluation for the 49ers. Johnson is way more talented than a mid-Day 3 pick. However, his 5-9, 154-pound frame may be disqualifying for some teams. Despite his size he posted 169 catches for 2,080 yards and 20 touchdowns over his two seasons with the Ducks. That's enough to be intriguing, and at the 147th pick it's a nice gamble for the 49ers who may need some WR help depending on how healthy that group is. Still, his size is a major question mark in a receiving corps already full of those heading into 2025.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 160: OL Jackson Slater, Sac State
Stingers up.
Grade: A+
(Editor's note: Editor attended Sac Stateand wanted to do the above little joke. Slater primarily played left guard for the Hornets. The Athletic's Dane Brugler projects him as a center, which would mean a period of transition would be required from Slater in the pros. If he winds up being their long-term center, this is a huge win. There may not be many contributions from him right away, though. Actual grade: C)
Round 7, Pick 227: TE Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
Any time a team can double up on Jacksons, they should. It appears from Hawes' athletic profile that he could be in line for a Charlie Woerner-like role. He was with Yale for four years before transferring to Georgia Tech for his final college season. Hawes in 41 college games caught 51 passes for 566 yards and six touchdowns. His receiving production doesn't give much hope for upside there which means he's another blocking-only TE.
Grade: C-
Round 7, Pick 249: QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota
It makes sense that the 49ers would take a QB late. They'd love to find a team-controlled backup for Brock Purdy. The Athletic's Dane Brugler wrote that Brosmer has "above-average post-snap processing to find correct read," and that he is a "highly efficient intermediate-level passer." Those are two things 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan will love.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 252: DT Elijah Simmons, Tennessee
Simmons played a lot of football. He played in 55 games with eight starts across six seasons for the Volunteers. He measured at 6-1, 334 pounds. His production is lacking with only 59 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. A third defensive lineman makes sense, but Simmons may have an uphill climb to a rotation spot with the 49ers.
Grade: D
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL mock draft: Grading 49ers picks in Dane Brugler 7-round projection
Continue reading...
