Insiders reveal how the Niners' surprising offseason moves and aging stars shape their critical draft board, potentially targeting linemen or receivers.
It is NFL draft misdirection season as franchises do their best not to reveal their draft plans. And despite their seeming openness to NFL reporters in laying out their draft plans, it is hard to sort through which news is real and which news is imaginary.
Like other NFL teams, reporters are sharing what they gather from the Niners heading into the NFL draft. Two analysts discussed how the 49ers' wild offseason will alter their draft selections. Nick Waggoner of ESPN shared how the Trent Williams uncertainty affects how the Niners will approach the draft.
""How much does the Trent Williams contract situation impact the 49ers' draft plans? Not as much as Williams' age does. Williams will be 38 in July, and the Niners don't have an obvious long-term replacement on the roster. Selecting a tackle in the first few rounds is a real possibility if there's one with starter potential available. It's worth noting the Niners have drafted only one offensive tackle in the first round since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch took over in 2017. The ideal prospect to be the second would be a player who could push to start at left guard right away and eventually move outside."
Fellow ESPN analyst Matt Miller provided additional notes on their draft plans.
"What we're hearing about the 49ers' draft: In reading the tea leaves and talking to people around the league, the 49ers don't necessarily view offensive tackle as a Round 1 priority. Instead, they have been heavily connected to wide receivers by teams when running through mock draft exercises. KC Concepcion (Texas A&M) is a name to watch."
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) catches a pass between Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) and safety Chamarri Conner (27) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesThe potential losses of Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk loom large for the Niners as they approach the pivotal draft. For that reason, it's easy to see San Francisco targeting an offensive tackle or wide receiver with the No. 27 pick. But how good of a player can they get at either position?
San Francisco is in the unenviable No. 27 spot, which means you were just good enough to draft in the bottom six picks and contend for a Super Bowl, but not good enough to win it. With that they may have to wait with bated breath to see if their starting offensive tackle falls to the end of the first round.
As for wide receiver, the team's first-round selection of Ricky Pearsall might dissuade them from confidence in their ability to draft a true first-round talent at receiver. The draft will reveal some of their reasoning, but with the Niners it's almost reasonable to expect the unexpected.