SANTA CLARA – Three weeks until the 49ers’ roster upheaval tumbles into the John McVay Draft Room. That leaves us ample time to make mock drafts, study college tape, but most importantly, sort through our social media mailbag:
What do you think the draft pick will be? (@azz1950) What are the 49ers’ draft priorities? (@andrew.liu.87)
Defensive line. No doubt. The 49ers cut the three starters who flanked Nick Bosa from last year’s dreadful defense. Free agency didn’t bring a single replacement, but make no mistake, the line remains integral to rebuilding the 49ers’ defensive brand in coordinator Robert Saleh’s encore act.
“That is what we believe, wholeheartedly, John (Lynch) and I both,” Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday at the NFL annual meeting in Florida. “It helped (Lynch) win a Super Bowl (as a 2002 Tampa Bay Bucs safety) and it’s what got us close (in 2019). It always starts with the D-line.”
Are the 49ers going to draft a bunch of D-line rookies, play them and be competitive? (@dr.steve.atx)
That’s the plan. But no matter how deep this draft is in defensive linemen, the 49ers urgently must pick correctly (see: pick No. 11 overall) and often. “We do have to hit on some of these draft picks,” Shanahan said. “We have to add in some youth. We have to change it up a little bit.”
Outside of Nick Bosa (2019, No. 2 pick) and D.J. Jones (2017, sixth round), the 49ers have a poor history in drafting defensive linemen: Soloman Thomas (2017, No. 3 pick), Kentavius Street (2018, fourth round), Jullian Taylor (2018, seventh round), Javon Kinlaw (2020, No. 14 pick), Drake Jackson (2022, second round) and Kalia Davis (2022, sixth round).
CINCINNATI, OHIO - DECEMBER 12: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 12: Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers is sacked by Trey Hendrickson #91 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the first quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Is there any chance Niners trade for (Bengals defensive end Trey) Hendrickson? Would be an insane pairing with Bosa. (@LonestarBeast)
Always a chance, but it would run counter to this offseason’s cost-cutting measures. Then again, here is 49ers owner Jed York on Tuesday: “You say cost-cutting. Just because we didn’t spend money in the first three days of free agency doesn’t mean we are prohibited from making trades, signing players, extending our own players. That’s always something we’re trying to do.” I’m sorry, did he say “making trades?”
I hear a lot of talk about the importance of the draft, and for good reason, however, the progression of last year’s promising class is substantially more important. How much stock do you put in the sophomore class being the key to 2025 success? (@theBQ11)
Now that is a Faithful fan who knows what this regime preaches: Players must make strides between their rookie and second seasons. George Kittle (2018) is the poster child for that. On the opposite end are a slew of examples. Meanwhile, workout videos surfaced this week of running back Isaac Guerendo and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, all of which means those lab sessions should have them ready for the offseason program starting April 21.
San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle #85 congratulates a Detroit Lions coach after the Lions 40-34 NFL win at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle #85 congratulates a Detroit Lions coach after the Lions’ 40-34 NFL win at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Kittle contract, does it get done before training camp gets underway? Do you feel it resets the TE market? (@lowbridge)
Not before camp. Kittle is entering his ninth season and — avert your eyes, camp purists — he could just show up in September ready to play. Then again, Kittle is a team leader and likes to rally the troops, who really need a morale boost and inspiration after this offseason’s purge. Yes, he should reset the market, perhaps as the first tight end to fetch $20 million per year, until Napa’s own Brock Bowers passes that in two years with the Raiders.
If you were the 49ers GM, what moves would you have made differently this offseason so far? (@MrEd315)
Honestly, I wouldn’t have re-signed any of the 49ers’ free agents, all due respect to those who commanded it, especially Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks. They were either too rich for this year’s budget or too much of an injury risk.
As GM, I would have paid Brock Purdy by now instead of simply teasing him with praise, and I would have locked in the Bosa brothers to bookend my defensive line (see: 2026, when Joey hits free agency again).
Los Angeles Rams' Jimmy Garoppolo (11) walks past San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy (13) after a game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Los Angeles Rams’ Jimmy Garoppolo (11) walks past San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy (13) after a game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
What are your thoughts on Brock, $50 million or $55 million? Will this hurt the team in any way? (@tha_realgr8t1)
That is likely the price range, give or take more millions, but I’m most curious about how much will be guaranteed and how soon the 49ers (or Purdy) can escape the deal if needed. Last year, Trevor Lawrence’s extension with the Jaguars was worth $142 million fully guaranteed and an annual rate of $55 million. Sounds fair even if Purdy is way more accomplished.
York has vouched for Purdy as a top-10 quarterback. The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts ranks 10th at $51 million a year, with $110 million fully guaranteed. “When you find a top-10 quarterback that can help you continually win football games, you have to make that decision (to sign him). If you do that, it comes with consequences,” York said. ” I don’t know if we were the oldest team in the league last year but we were one of the oldest; we were one of the most-injured teams. You have to get younger and healthier and make sure you build around a core and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Besides Greenlaw, who didn’t want to stay, which free agent loss will be felt the most next season? (@j.mata530)
The 49ers overspent on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave two years ago in free agency, but Shanahan certainly did not minimize Hargrave’s season-ending triceps tear in Week 3.
“Especially as the end of the year went, losing some of those D-linemen hurt us,” Shanahan said.”Losing Hargrave hurt us more than people realized.”
The 49ers, as of now, have only backup defensive tackles from last year’s porous run defense: Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Kalia Davis and Evan Anderson.
Since the 1994 selection of Hall of Famer Bryant Young, the 49ers coughed up first-round picks on these less-heralded defensive tackles: Reggie McGrew (1999), Kentwan Balmer (2008), Arik Armstead (2015), DeForest Buckner (2016), Soloman Thomas (2017) and Javon Kinlaw (2020); Buckner was the only one to make a Pro Bowl (2018).
It’s obvious Kyle feels the season went so poorly because of a Super Bowl hangover. His final comments today said as much. Do you think the league caught up to his scheme, which couldn’t create gaps in the zone run for a piece of paper to fit through? Or was it just the hangover?
Having healthy star players helps. As Shanahan said Tuesday: “When we got Christian, that opened up a lot of stuff. Having George opened up a lot of stuff. Having a player like Deebo adds ideas. You always have to try to stay ahead of the game but you don’t just do that with drawing plays on a napkin. You do that with good players and balancing them out.”
San Francisco 49ers' Jake Moody (4) walks off the field after missing a field goal against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
San Francisco 49ers’ Jake Moody (4) walks off the field after missing a field goal against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Kicker? Keeping Moody? Do we have a backup? Should we get a backup kicker? (@lehz_lee)
Shanahan said they plan to sign a yet-to-be-identified veteran kicker after the draft for a “serious competition” with Jake Moody through the preseason.
But a backup kicker? That sparks a story from a Green Bay road trip 20 years ago: Two friends tagged along with me; we were at the local Hooters (their idea, I swear), and one of them (Ryan) convinced all the waitresses to gather around him for a picture.
“Who’s that?” the manager asked.
“He said he’s the 49ers’ backup kicker,” an employee responded.
“There’s no such thing,” the manager tersely said. “Get back to work!”
Alas, now it’s Moody who must work against veteran competition to keep his job. Shanahan said: “I do believe if you can overcome that and beat out a capable guy, that will show us he’s capable for the season.” Otherwise, there’s always Ryan.
Originally Published: April 3, 2025 at 5:35 AM PDT