A role for every 49ers pick in ESPN 7-round mock draft (2024)

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Morgan might be a little bit of a reach at the end of the first round, but he’s a quality player who should be able to start either right tackle or guard right away. Ideally he’d play OT, but San Francisco will take the versatility for some flexibility when it comes to building their offensive line.

Ideal role: Starting RT

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Jenkins is a little undersized for a defensive tackle at 6-3, 299 pounds. He was a team captain for the national champions though and posted 4.5 sacks with eight tackles for loss the last two seasons. Jenkins may need some development as a three-down player, but he should help the 49ers’ pass rush right away.

Ideal role: Rotational DT

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It wouldn’t be a surprise if the 49ers snag a player like Zinter earlier in the draft. He has tremendous size at 6-6, 309 pounds and he wields it effectively as a pass blocker and in the run game. His athletic testing doesn’t jump off the page, but he should function well enough to play at least as a reserve in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Remarkably it sounds like he’ll be ready to participate in the offseason after breaking his tibia and fibula in November. If he’s clear of any lingering issues from that injury he should be an effective player out of the gate who could compete for the starting job at right guard.

Ideal role: Starting RG

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This is a good area for the 49ers to find a cornerback and Jones fits the profile of a player who could step in to compete for a starting outside corner job on Day 1. He measured in at just over 6-1, 185 pounds at the combine with 31.5-inch arms. It’s easy to see how an aggressive corner like Jones would fit in San Francisco’s secondary, but his best asset may be his experience. Across six years with the Golden Eagles he played 60 games and posted 43 pass breakups with seven interceptions. 28 of those PBUs and all seven INTs came in the last two seasons.

Ideal role: Starting CB

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Linebacker depth could be a need for the 49ers depending on how Dre Greenlaw recovers from a torn Achilles, and how second-year LBs Jalen Graham and Dee Winters develop. Taking an LB at this point would mean the 49ers are confident he can contribute right away in some capacity. Jacobs is an experienced player who posted 171 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in four years with the Nittany Lions (three as a starter). Jacobs’ athletic testing numbers aren’t outstanding, but he’s not particularly bad at anything. His ceiling isn’t super high, but his floor should give him a long career.

Ideal role: Reserve LB/Special teams

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Sinnott helped himself a lot at the combine with some strong testing numbers to back up his 80 catches for 1,123 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last two seasons. With Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis already on the roster the 49ers would really have to like Sinnott as a blocker and upside as a pass catcher to make him a fourth-round pick.

Ideal role: Reserve TE/Special teams

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There are a handful of roles Mustapha could fill as a pro, but his aggressiveness as a tackler should make him at least a good special teams player for a long time. He’s a little undersized to move to linebacker at 5-10, 209 pounds the way they have with some other college defensive backs. It’s easy to see how the 49ers would look past that to add a player like Mustapha to their secondary though. They wouldn’t need him to contribute on defense right away which should give them some runway to figure out how he best fits for them.

Ideal role: Special teams

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It would be a small surprise if the 49ers waited this long to find a wide receiver. Gould is pretty compact at 5-8, 174 pounds, but he has great speed that should give him a chance to occupy the role vacated by Ray-Ray McCloud. San Francisco doesn’t really have a true slot receiver on its roster which opens a door for Gould to eventually snag a role. He has a little experience as a returner, but that’s another way he could make his mark in Year 1.

Ideal role: Return man

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This is a much better place for the 49ers to draft a running back than in Round 3. McClellan doesn’t have the elite speed to be a home run hitter on outside zones, but his ability to catch passes and churn out positive yards on virtually every run could easily catch the eye of Shanahan. Across four years with the Crimson Tide, McClellan had 1,981 yards and 18 touchdowns on 355 carries. He also posted 40 catches for 409 yards and six touchdowns through the air. His value could come down the road when the team moves on from either Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell. It’s not out of the question McClellan makes his way into the backfield rotation right away either.

Ideal role: Reserve RB/Special teams

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Gargiulo is a fun seventh-round pick for San Francisco. He is huge for a center at 6-5, 318 pounds which lends some credence to the idea a team like the 49ers might try moving him to another interior spot. He also played every OL position in college which helps his case to make the roster at a position that’s not center. Gargiulo may be a practice squadder as a rookie, but there’s plenty to work with as a developmental project.

Ideal role: Reserve OL