49ers NFL Draft Prospect Primer

Posted By on April 7, 2023

It is NFL mock draft season, that time of year when every fan gets an opportunity to play general manager.

To help you prepare before firing off your next 49ers mock draft I put together a list of prospects who meet the 49ers needs. I’ve even included a list of who the team has met with to date.

Interior defensive line: Mazi Smith, Tavius Robinson, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Keione Wright, Byron Young, Isaiah McGuire, Zacch Pickens, Ikenna Enechukwu, and Dante Stills.

The 49ers spent time with Robinson, Young, McGuire, Enechukwu, Pickens, and Stills during the scouting combine.

Edge: Nick Herbig, Viliami Fehoko, Karl Brooks, Thomas Incoom, Nick Hampton, YaYa Diaby

San Francisco has a Top 30 visit scheduled with Diaby. The Louisville pass rusher…

Cornerback: Kelee Ringo, Jay Ward, Clark Phillips III, Mekhi Blackmon, DJ Turner, Terell Smith, Darius Rush, Jordan Battle, Anthony Johnson, Rejzohn Wright, Christian Braswell, Starling Thomas V.

The 49ers met with Ward, Blackmon, Rush, Smith, and Battle during the scouting combine.

Safety: JL Skinner, Jordan Howden, Ji’Ayir Brown, Karl Brooks, Jordan Battle, Gervarrius Owens, Tyreque Jones, Daniel Scott, Jammie Robinson, John Torchio.

Despite bringing back veteran Tashaun Gipson the 49ers have a need to infuse youth into the position.

San Francisco met with several safeties during the combine including Skinner, Robinson, Scott, Jones, Owens, and Brown.

The team held a Top 30 visit with Ji’Ayir Brown and has another scheduled with Jordan Howden.

Kicker: Jake Moody, Chad Ryland, Anders Carlson, Andre Szmyt, and Will Reichard.

According to reports the 49ers held private workouts with Moody, Ryland, and Carlson in March.

Quarterback: Jake Haener, Aidan O’Connell, Max Duggan, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Jaren Hall, Tanner McKee

The 49ers met with Hall and Thompson-Robinson during the scouting combine and were on hand to watch McKee throw during Stanford’s pro day.

San Francisco will get a look at Haener during their local pro day set for April 12. McKee is also expected to be on hand.

Tight end: Tucker Kraft, Davis Allen, Sam LaPorta, Brenton Strange, McCallum Castles, Luke Schoonmaker, Josh Whyle, Cameron Latu, Brayden Willis, Payne Durham, Zack Kuntz, Jamal Turner.

San Francisco met with several tight ends during the combine including LaPorta, Whyle, Allen, Durham, Kuntz, and Allen.

The 49ers have held Top 30 visits with Alabama prospect Cameron Latu and Jamal Turner from Toledo.

Offensive line: Joe Tippmann, Olesgun Oluywatimi, Ricky Stromberg, Antonio Mafi Cody Mauch, McClendon Curtis, Juice Scruggs, Wanya Morris, Blake Freeland, Braeden Daniels, Ilm Manning, Jaelyn Duncan, Ryan Hayes, Tyler Beach, Tyler Steen, Nick Saldiveri, Warren McClendon Jr., Jordan McFadden.

San Francisco has held Top 30 meetings with Manning and UCLA guard Antonio Mafi.

During the combine the 49ers met with a host of offensive linemen including Saldiveri, McClendon Jr., McFadden, Hayes, Duncan, Freeland, and Scruggs.

Keep an eye on Tippmann as well. San Francisco was on hand to watch the Wisconsin center perform at his Pro Day.

Wide Receiver: Mac Hippenhammer, Jonathan Mingo, Michael Wilson, Dontayvion Wicks, A.T. Perry, Jacob Copeland, Xavier Hutchinson, Jason Brownlee, Antoine Green, Jake Bobo, Grant DuBose, Tank Dell, Demario Douglas, Nikko Remigio, Michael Jefferson

The 49ers are five deep at receiver, however Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud are going into the final year of their contracts.

San Francisco met with several receivers during the draft process. They met with Mingo, Wicks, Copeland, Hutchinson, Brownlee, Bobo, DuBose, and Douglas during the combine.

Nikko Remigio from Fresno State and Michael Wilson from Stanford are expected to participate in the 49ers local Pro Day.

Running Back: Israel Abanikanda, Keaton Mitchel, Sean Tucker

San Francisco met with Abanikanda during the combine and his Pro Day.

With good size and breakaway speed, the Pittsburgh prospect has everything the 49ers look for.

This article has 31 Comments

  1. Jack,
    Great list it is a good starting point. It will be interesting to see how many of the 49ers eventual picks are on your list but I won’t be giving it a 2nd look until tomorrow now its time for the home opener. Go Giants.

  2. Thanks, Jack.
    I enjoy watching videos on players who might become future 49ers.
    This really helps in familiarizing with some of these potential draft picks.

    Would like to see a Hammer Mock Draft in the coming days.
    Draft picks with all 11 players, and picks with possible trades.

  3. I’m just curious, I don’t see much mentioned about replacing Al-Shaair at Outside Linebacker? Are the 49ers satisfied with in-house replacement options?

    I agree at OT, TE, and K are all thin spots, but I have to think SLB is another area…?

  4. Lynch favors Senior Bowl attendees that also had a 30-visit in the draft. Not always. Just enough to make me pay attention to 30-visits more.

    Ten minutes ago I asked Jack Hammer if he could make a list of 30-visit. He beat me to it. The list was already here.

    Thanks!

    Meantime I’ll stick to praising Baalke’s AJ Jenkins pick.

    1. B2W..lest we forget Mariucci and McVay’s pick in 2000…Giovanni Carmazzi in the 3rd round…while some guy named Tom Brady was sitting around until the 6th round

  5. I read this and it gave me deja vu about Joel Buchsbaum. All of these names and options and most of them I’ve never heard of. Most of you guys may not be old enough to remember him but his hey day was back in the glory days of sports talk radio. Buchsbaum’s memory on players was legendary. You could seemingly ask him a question about any college player in the country and he could recite a full scouting report and projected round and fit with any NFL team off memory. Buschsbaum was absolutely amazing. Best draft analyst ever in my opinion.

    1. Oh such fond memories.

      People would call Buchsbaum about a player and often before the caller finished his question, Buchsbaum would interrupt and begin rattling off the player’s talents and drawbacks, beginning his responses with “Ooohhh-KAY!” as if he was revving up the engine of a Mustang just before putting it into gear. Keep in mind this was in the days before widespread internet availability and usage.

      Periodically, Buchsbaum would invoke his favorite saying of lesser players, “Looks like Tarzan; plays like Jane.”

      Buchsbaum, who was a recluse, died 20+ years ago at a relatively young 48. Sporting News much later named him the absolute best draft analyst ever.

        1. From his two-bedroom apartment on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, close to where the Dodgers’ old Ebbets Field was situated. Buchsbaum did virtually all his broadcasting from there, leaving his apartment only to get groceries or walk his dog. A real recluse. He would be a giant today, had he lived longer.

  6. Interesting that most of the linemen that SF met with appear to be interior linemen. You would think they would want to meet with more tackles. Makes you wonder what their thought process is here.

    1. George,
      I’m a big fan of Mauch, but the 49ers would need to do some maneuvering to get him. But Mauch could vie for playing time as a rookie which would be worth it.

      1. AES, the draftniks I’ve read say he’ll likely play guard. If true and if we draft him, will they pencil him in as RG of the future? And would that mean Burford supplants McKivitz at RT this season and Feliciano starts at RG? Just questions without answers at this point.

        1. George,
          Here are a couple of takes on Cody Mauch, per PFF.

          “Where he wins: Quicks
          Mauch is arguably the most athletic offensive lineman in the draft class. He can still be effective at a lighter weight because of his ability to get into a defender’s pads so quickly in the run game.

          What’s his role: Center/guard
          There are just too many knocks against Mauch to feel comfortable keeping him at tackle. His best position out of the gate may very well be center, although that has a bit of a steeper learning curve than just kicking to guard.”

          Imho, Mauch needs some refining, but as a former TE he also seems to have the athleticism to work his way into a couple of OL positions.
          At the very least, he could be the first backup off the bench in his rookie season and battle for a starting spot in year two.

          1. I think the film study makes a strong case for him. If he has Foerster’s blessing, maybe he’ll be a target. It would probably mean moving up, but maybe they’ll get lucky and it wouldn’t be that much. Also we have 11 picks and I can’t imagine them drafting 11 guys. This year, though, they do need help at Edge given who’s left, and they do have olinemen they’ve drafted over the last two years who’ve been under development, a few of whom might compare favorably against who’s coming up on the draft board. It’s easy to forget about these guys when the draft season candy store opens, but they are productive assets to some degree, whatever that is, who are in waiting.

    1. So based on his comments, if I had to bet on whom we trade up for, if we do, it would be for an Edge, although we’d have to get into the 2nd round.

      Some of his comments:
      -CB: “In fact, there will be big, long, explosive perimeter cornerbacks available in each of the first four rounds.”
      -TE: “This is one of the most promising tight end classes I’ve seen in a while.”
      -Edge: “If your team is looking for an edge defender, you should hope it addresses the position within the first 75 picks because the depth will start to diminish after that point in the draft.”
      -OT: “There will be tackles pushed into the top 40 picks who become starters, but the class is extremely light on depth and it’s unlikely to produce top-tier talent.”

      1. Really like hearing about explosive perimeter cornerbacks in first four rounds.

        Going Corner, Tight End and Edge with 99, 101 and 102 sounds good to me.
        If an Offensive Lineman drops that works as well.
        Pick 75 for an Edge would cost 99+101. Maybe wait till later for a coach K prospect.

  11. If the prediction regarding OTs is accurate maybe the 49ers are satisfied with McKivitz and Pryor at RT. If so then their picks in the 3rd round could end up being CB, TE, edge or S. I can see them doubling up at Edge and S.

    1. I believe a lot also has to do with potential. Cody Mauch (an example) according to PFF is not a polished player, but the potential to reach a high level is there, especially given the opportunity to work with the highly respected 49ers OL coaches.
      It will be interesting if the 49ers trade some of their comp collateral or sit on their 11 pick’s.

  12. I think they will use most if not all of their 11 picks. They lost a lot of talent to free agency. I believe that this draft and the next are going to be very important drafts. They can’t keep signing players to big contracts or they will end up like the Eagles and Rams. This draft is more for quality backups who can eventually start. Next year is more about star power maybe a LT.

  13. Coach/George,
    A couple of players that I like aren’t even recognized by Walter Football (their list likely hasn’t been updated?).
    1. Matthew Bergeron, OL Syracuse.
    2. Isaiah McGuire, DE Mizzu Tigers.

    I really like Bergeron’s quick feet and lateral movement.
    And McGuire uses a veriety of
    moves, combined with his strength and speed.

    Bergeron had a good Senior Bowl week that made him a trending player.
    McGuire shows his potential and value on his Mizzu highlights.

  14. Truthfully so. This year, though, they do need help at Edge given who’s left, and they do have olinemen they’ve drafted over the last two years who’ve been under development, a few of whom might compare favorably against who’s coming up on the draft board

  15. I think who the 49ers bring in for their 30 visits needs to be kept a secret so other teams don’t hone in the players they are considering drafting. If required, all teams can keep those secret. Last year several of the players the team planned kon drafting others teams got before our pick. Something to consider.

  16. I think who the 49ers bring in for their 30 visits needs to be kept a secret so other teams don’t hone in the players they are considering drafting. If required, all teams can keep those secret. Last year several of the players the team planned kon drafting others teams got before our pick. Something to consider.

  17. Out of the 30 players teams bring in they probably only consider 15 to 20 of them potential draftees, the others are purely misdirection.. I forget who said it, how do you tell when a HC/GM is lying during draft season? His lips are moving.

  18. Going Corner, Tight End and Edge with 99, 101 and 102 sounds good to me.

    As long as not RB with those picks- lets learn our lesson

  19. All of these names and options and most of them I’ve never heard of. Most of you guys may not be old enough to remember him but his hey day was back in the glory days of sports talk radio. Buchsbaum’s memory on players was legendary

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