San Francisco 49ers go in surprising but typical directions in final seven-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft

The San Francisco 49ers would appear to have one need that stands above the rest ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft.

But, picking 31st overall in the first round, they aren't exactly in an ideal spot to land one of the premier offensive line prospects in the class. In any case, the 49ers have consistently proven they are not beholden to outside opinions of what their roster requires.

As such, anything and everything outside of quarterback is on the table, and in this final mock, the Niners' draft goes in some surprising directions, but ones that are typical of how they have their built their roster under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch over the years.

Round 1, Pick 31: Johnny Newton, IDL, Illinois

With offensive talent set to dominate the first round, there is every chance a premier defender could fall right into the lap of the 49ers.

Newton, having only recently recovered from foot surgery, is a candidate to do so. The second-best defensive tackle in the class, he was a dominant pass rusher for the Illini, winning consistently with tremendous usage of the power in his hands, which also helped him excel as a run defender.

A natural successor to the 31-year-old Javon Hargrave as a gap-shooting defensive tackle, Newton has shown intriguing bend at the top of his rush and the ability to excel regardless of where he is aligned on the front. He'd be an instant impact pick with the potential to blossom into a cornerstone of the defense.

Round 2, Pick 63: Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama

I've had Braswell in a host of recent mocks looking at different scenarios and it's impossible for me to move off the pick.

With Leonard Floyd set to start across from Nick Bosa on a short-term deal, the 49ers are in a perfect position to use Braswell in the same way Jim Harbaugh's Niners team did Aldon Smith back in 2011, as a game-wrecker on third down whom they can mold into a starter.

To be clear, Braswell is not the same caliber of talent as Smith was back then, but he boasts an excellent get-off, consistently translates speed to power and already has some well-refined moves to his game. 

Doubts about his play against the run are exaggerated, as his tape against Texas A&M and Ole Miss demonstrated. In Braswell, defensive line coach Kris Kocurek would be getting an ideal student for him to tutor.

Round 3, Pick 94: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame

Though John Lynch did not sound overly bullish on the tackle class in his pre-draft press conference, the 49ers have done ample work on the position during the process.

They held a top-30 visit with Kingsley Suamataia, who could go in the first round and has the positional versatility to play both right and left tackle and has displayed significant polish for a prospect who only turned 21 in January.

But I still have a hard time believing that will be enough for the 49ers to take a tackle in the first round, especially when there are compelling day-two options. In my mind, it likely comes down to Fisher vs. Washington's Roger Rosengarten, with whom the Niners held a private workout.

Rosengarten is one of the best athletes in the entire class at the tackle position, but Fisher is a better fit for an offense that blends zone and gap scheme runs, with his combination of foot speed and arm length giving him more avenues through which to recover in pass protection. A bully who plays with a finisher's mentality, the 49ers would delight owner Jed York by selecting the first of two golden domers in their class.

Round 4, Pick 124: Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky

The 49ers are said to be very high on Phillips, who is seen by many as a second or third-round pick.

Him dropping to the fourth might be a little bit of a stretch, but teams could well be turned off by Phillips' inconsistency as a tackler and his distinct lack of on-ball production. He did not have an interception in college

But Phillips has inside-out versatility, and his combination of prowess with physical coverage and stop-start quickness would appear to put him in excellent position to thrive as a modern-day slot.

With a year to learn under the the 49ers' deep group veteran corners, Phillips could prove a very astute pick by 2025.

Round 4, Pick 132: Javon Baker, WR, UCF

Regardless of what happens with Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers are going to take at least one wide receiver in another talent-rich class at the position.

What do the 49ers most need at receiver? A player who can consistently defeat man coverage and brings contested-catch upside.

Among receivers with at least 75 targets last season in the 2024 draft, Baker ranked ninth with a contested catch rate of 56.3 percent. On top of that, Baker was 12th in yards per route against man coverage (3.17) among wideouts with at least 20 such targets.

A superbly nuanced route-runner who does an excellent job of implementing stop-start quickness into his routes, Baker ticks all the boxes for a Kyle Shanahan receiver.

Round 4, Pick 135: Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame

Before Christian McCaffrey came on the scene, Kyle Shanahan made it very clear he desired a big back with decisiveness and big-play ability when he selected Trey Sermon in 2021 and Tyrion Davis-Price in 2022.

Both their 49ers careers were brief and unspectacular, but if you think those whiffs are going to stop Shanahan from trying it again you are sorely mistaken.

Yes, the 49ers already have a big back in Jordan Mason, but he barely saw the field last year owing to struggles in pass protection. Estime was only credited with allowing three pressures in his final season with Notre Dame and is a massive explosive downhill runner who blends decisiveness with power, vision and a surprising ability to make defenders miss.

Take Estime's 4.71 40-yard dash and throw it out the window. Instead, focus on the fact he averaged 4.27 yards after contact per attempt in 2023 and embrace McCaffrey having a backup who could prolong his career by eating in to his some of his early-down workload and wearing down defenses with his punishing running.

Round 5, Pick 176: Johnny Wilson, WR, Florida State

On the subject of big people, the 49ers have shown interest in absolutely massive human being who would be a huge departure from what they've usually looked for at receiver.

Wilson is just over 6ft 6in and 231 pounds with 4.5 speed, yet he is still learning how to make the most of his physical gifts, particularly at the catch point, where his size is not always the advantage you might think.

His tape against Clemson's Nate Wiggins, with whom the 49ers visited, reflects that. But what you also see is a receiver who can do things most people his size can't with how he uses his releases to create leverage and utilizes his short-area burst to stack defenders. 

Combine those qualities with an ability to defeat press and a wingspan that allows him to corral balls that would be well out of the reach of even the average sized NFL player, and Wilson looms as a cheat code worthy of a dart throw. In a poor tight end class, the 49ers could switch him to F tight end, essentially use him as a power slot, and profit.

Round 6, Pick 211: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice

John Lynch believes in bloodlines, as he made clear in this press conference, and I've a strong feeling Kyle Shanahan is enamored with the thought of adding another McCaffrey.

A versatile former quarterback who was regularly used as a runner out of the backfield in college, McCaffrey's contested catch rate of 60.3 percent was superior to that of Baker.

He fits arguably the most important Shanahan criteria in having the toughness to go over the middle consistently, has enough speed to be a yards after catch threat and could be a potentially significant asset in the return game under the new kickoff rules. An offense with two McCaffreys may soon be on the horizon.

Round 6, Pick 215: Sione Vaki, S, Utah

Per A to Z Sports' Mike Payton, the 49ers and Detroit Lions are both heavily interested in Vaki, one of the most unique talents in the draft.

Vaki is in need of refinement at safety but excels playing downhill as a run defender and a blitzer and has shown promise driving on the ball from depth in zone coverage.

His most intriguing tape, however, is as a running back, a role in which he displayed vision, elusiveness and contact balance as a runner and remarkable big-play ability as a receiver out of the backfield. 

Vaki can provide insurance behind starting safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga and, in this scenario, join Estime in offering another option at running back so the Niners don't have to worry much about the durability of McCaffrey's oft-injured chief backup Elijah Mitchell.

Round 7, Pick 251: Frank Gore Jr, RB, Southern Miss

Yes it’s another running back, but in a draft in which Lynch conceded the 49ers aren’t impressed with the late-round talent, there’s reason to embrace sentiment and give the son of one of the greatest 49er running backs of all time a shot to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Gore Jr. shares his father’s ability to squeak through holes others just can’t and possesses the same contact balance and elusiveness that made his dad great. He’s excelled on zone runs at Southern Miss and could hold out hope of competing for a roster spot with a strong camp. If nothing else, having Gore Sr. call in the pick would be an all-time draft moment.