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[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: Three weeks until the draft

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Thursday, April 3rd, 2025

Kawakami: What could hold 49ers together through 2025 reset? Trusting Shanahan and Purdy (paywall)

“So the 49ers aren’t really aiming for the Super Bowl this season. Even with all their remaining stars, that’s unrealistic. They might draft perfectly, pull out of a bunch of close finishes, and remain healthy enough to steal 10 or 11 wins. But they absolutely don’t match up with the Eagles, Lions, or Commanders right now. It’s just reality. And Shanahan, to his credit, doesn’t deal in unreality.

“I don’t think it’s about lowering expectations,” Shanahan said. “It’s kind of the position your team’s in. We lost the Super Bowl in overtime before last year. That’s all anyone can think about. … That’s kinda how it was for us last year. We took our shot. This year we had a bad year. We didn’t do good. We didn’t make the playoffs. So all we’re talking about is how to get back to playing good football. And we know we lost a lot of good players. But … what I’m thinking about is how good we can get in the draft. How many people we can add?”

If you think that sounds like a new two- or three-year plan, similar to Lynch and Shanahan’s methodical build-up to their first Super Bowl trip after the 2019 season, well, I agree.”

Why Shanahan ‘excited’ to work with new 49ers backup QB Jones

“I loved how he played the position, especially in college,” Shanahan said of Jones. “He got the ball to the right spots, didn’t take sacks, would hang in there and get hit and distribute the ball to his playmakers.

“I’ve seen him do it in the NFL at a high level. And we’re excited to get him working in our offense.”

2025 NFL mock draft: What coaches say about Ward, Sanders, Carter, Hunter and more (paywall)

“Charvarius Ward was one of the many big losses the 49ers had this offseason. The feeling here is that general manager John Lynch will opt for Barron over Michigan’s Will Johnson. The 5-11, 194-pound Barron is the smaller DB, but he’s faster. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top DB, making five interceptions and 67 tackles.

Lynch played with one of the NFL’s great nickel backs, Ronde Barber, in Tampa. It’s a stretch to say Barron is going to reach those heights, but he’s instinctive, savvy and versatile. Texas coaches felt strongly that he could excel as a nickel, corner or safety because he’s so smart and has such great agility and quickness. They think if he came out last year, he probably would’ve been a mid-round pick. Instead, he’s going in the middle of the first round.

“He’s got terrific ball skills and feel. I think his football IQ is really high,” an SEC offensive coordinator said. “His ability to adjust and trigger is elite. His footwork is really clean. Excellent open-field tackler. I thought this guy was the best player on that team.......

“[Derrick Harmon] was the best interior pass rusher we faced this year,” a Big Ten O-line coach said. “He has great length and athleticism. We schemed a lot of things to make sure he didn’t get one-on-ones against us. He wasn’t as stout in the run game as (Mason) Graham.”

“I thought he was unbelievable,” a Big Ten running backs coach said. “He’s just as disruptive as Mason Graham when we played them, and he’s even bigger. Very impressed by him.”

“Liked him a lot,” a Big Ten O-line coach said, “but I do think he picks and chooses when he wants to play hard or not. He is really good, though. He’s very explosive and quick and plays with power and strength and can shed and get skinny.”

Field Yates 2-round mock draft: 49ers focus on the trenches

“Field Yates’ latest mock draft for ESPN aligns with expectations for the San Francisco 49ers in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft—reinforcing the trenches. The defensive front suffered significant losses this offseason. At the same time, the offensive line could use upgrades, despite general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan expressing confidence in their current group.

After finishing the 2024 season with just six wins, the 49ers hold the 11th overall pick. Yates projects them selecting Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen in the first round, bolstering a defensive interior that lost Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins.

“The 49ers have major work to do along the defensive line and perhaps a few other spots after losing multiple starters on both sides of the ball this offseason,” Yates wrote. “Nolen would be a play-wrecker for them. He is overwhelmingly powerful and explosive, and he could help replace veterans Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave.”

Nolen played one season at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M. In 2024, he recorded 6.5 sacks, a career-high 48 tackles (14 for a loss), and three passes defensed.

“In a league that has put an increased premium on pass-rushing defensive tackles, he would provide San Francisco with a valuable building block,” Yates added.

With their second-round pick (No. 43 overall), Yates has the 49ers selecting Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery—a potential successor to left tackle Trent Williams.

“San Francisco’s search for offensive and defensive line reinforcements will be ongoing, and Ersery could be the heir apparent to Trent Williams (who is turning 37 in July) at left tackle,” Yates wrote. “Ersery allowed four sacks over 39 career starts, and his 6-foot-6, 331-pound frame makes it difficult for pass rushers to get around him.”

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4...an-brock-purdy-extension-contract-aiyuk-trade

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Will the 49ers defensive line be better in 2025?

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Niners have quite a few holes to fill in the 2025 NFL Draft.

When it comes to position groups that have seen the most attrition this offseason for the San Francisco 49ers, the defensive line has easily been the most impacted position.

San Francisco made several cash-saving moves along the defensive line, releasing defensive end Leonard Floyd and defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins.

In return, they did not make any meaningful additions, creating holes on the starting defensive line ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Defensive line play has long been a staple of the 49ers’ defenses, as they’ve made significant investments at the position in the past. But, over the past two offseasons, the 49ers have lost several players, including Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Clelin Ferrell, Charles Omenihu, and Chase Young, among others, in addition to those listed above.

Currently, the 49ers are projected to start Nick Bosa and Yetur Gross-Matos on the edge, while Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, and Evan Anderson are the leaders on the interior.

So, will the 49ers' defensive line actually get better in 2025?

That all depends on the 2025 NFL Draft, where San Francisco will have opportunities to add defensive linemen as early as the No. 11 pick. Several defensive linemen have been mocked to the 49ers, who are in a prime spot to add at the position in one of the deeper defensive line classes in recent memory.

However, San Francisco also has quite a few other needs that require attention, raising questions as to whether they can add difference-makers along their front four to make an immediate impact in 2025.

Positions like cornerback, offensive line, safety, wide receiver, linebacker, and running back could all warrant selections for the 49ers later this month, as the team is equipped to go with the best-player-available approach.

The 49ers don’t have a quick fix along the defensive line. They need potentially three future starters at the position, and that’s hard to solve in just one draft.

So, they may be better positioned not to reach for defensive linemen, instead evaluating all of their needs with how the draft board falls, especially with how deep the class is at the position.

San Francisco could very well get a starting-caliber player on Day 2, but it’s well known that top-tier defensive line talent, specifically on the interior, is usually found in the early rounds of the draft.

Another factor in the mix is the hiring of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who has consistently fielded top 10 defenses regardless of his roster. Saleh has fueled his defenses with strong defensive lines, which may incentivize the 49ers to prioritize the position early.

Now, it seems the 49ers are shying away from their focus of bringing in pass-rush specialists, moving on from Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd, which could bolster their porous run defense from a season ago. So, there could be improvements there if San Francisco is able to identify fits in the draft.

But, as mentioned above, it’ll be hard to fully fix the defensive line in one offseason, which is why it may be tough to produce a significantly better defensive line than San Francisco’s 2024 unit.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4...ovements-nick-bosa-2025-nfl-draft-free-agency

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

The 49ers might already have a succession plan in place if Robert Saleh leaves after 1 year

Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

Kyle Shanahan spoke about the potential of losing Robert Saleh

One of the reasons some wanted the San Francisco 49ers to go in a different direction than Robert Saleh at defensive coordinator was the idea that Saleh would be a one-and-done, and the Niners would be back where they started one year later.

It was mildly surprising that Saleh didn’t get a head coaching gig during this cycle. If the 49ers play defense like they have every other year, Saleh will once again be a hot commodity in coaching circles next offseason.

Earlier this week at the NFL’s annual meetings in Florida, head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke about the possibility of losing Saleh:

“You understand that’s his ultimate goal, and that is for almost every coach. So if we had a hell of a year and we lost Saleh to another team, I’d be happy for him, disappointed for us. But I think it would mean we were doing some pretty good things, too.”

That’s how the team lost Saleh, DeMeco Ryans, and Mike McDaniel. It’s also why they’ve lost other assistants like Klay Kubiak over the years.

Shanahan will be prepared for Saleh’s departure this time: “So that’s something you’ve got to be prepared for in this league. We are at offense. We are in defense. You’ve got to be on special teams. And it’s something everyone has got to deal with.”

Last season, after the 49ers hired Nick Sorensen as their defensive coordinator, they also brought in Brandon Staley. We put two and two together, thinking Staley would be Sorensen’s successor. Staley is a defensive coordinator, but in New Orleans, not San Francisco.

Gus Bradley, Saleh’s mentor and coach who has been a coordinator in the league for a dozen years and a head coach for another four, is the not-so-under-the-radar successor on the coaching staff this offseason.

When Shanahan discussed looking for a special teams coordinator, he said, “I want somebody familiar with building game plans.” You’d think that if he values experience in one area, he’d feel the same about defense. Well, Bradley has about as much experience as you could imagine.

It’ll be interesting to see if Bradley, who has long been a heavy Cover 3 coach who doesn’t blitz, puts his fingerprints on the defense. If so, and it's successful, or even if Shanahan likes the way Bradley runs meetings, interacts with the players, etc., then there’s a good chance the succession plan for Saleh is already on the roster.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4/4/24401096/49ers-robert-saleh-kyle-shanahan-gus-bradley

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Former 49ers first-round quarterback finds a new home

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A familiar face at quarterback is pairing up with a familiar head coach.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance has found a new home, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year deal worth up to $6.2 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

With the deal, Lance will join Taylor Heinecke in backing up star quarterback Justin Herbert, returning to California.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Lance was with the Dallas Cowboys for the past two seasons. He did not suit up in any games during the 2023 season, backing up both Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.

In 2024, Lance threw for 266 yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception in four games of action. He made one start in Week 18, passing for 244 yards and rushing for 26 more in a 30-24 loss to the Washington Commanders.

Prior to that, Lance was with the 49ers for two seasons, initially starting off as the backup to Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie year. He played in six games, starting two, including a Week 16 win over the Houston Texans that kept the 49ers in the playoff race in 2021.

He then started two games during his second year before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Ahead of his third year, Lance lost the starting job to 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy, who led the 49ers to the playoffs after both he and Garoppolo got injured, helping the team make the NFC Championship Game.

Competing for the backup quarterback spot that offseason, Lance was traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick after losing the job to Sam Darnold.

Now, on his third team in the NFL, Lance will be a part of a quarterback room with Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinecke, making up to $6.2 million on a one-year deal.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4...ey-lance-signs-deal-with-los-angeles-chargers

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Will the 49ers bring in competition for Jake Moody in 2025?

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The 49ers kicker struggled in his 2nd year in the NFL.

It’s safe to say that 2024 was a disappointing year for the San Francisco 49ers, who went 6-11 one season after making the Super Bowl.

Several players dealt with injuries, while others didn’t play to the standard they set in 2023. Among the group? Kicker Jake Moody, who was one of the worst kickers in the NFL last season, converting just 70.6 percent of his field goals.

Moody finished 39th in field goal rate and 21st in extra point rate after a rookie year where he was outside the Top 15 in field goal percentage. That wasn’t the step that San Francisco was looking for their 2023 third-rounder to take during his sophomore season.

Moody especially struggled from 40 yards and beyond, hitting just 10/20 field goals from that distance, while going a perfect 14/14 inside 40 yards.

The 49ers made a significant investment in the former Michigan Wolverine, taking him with the No. 99 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which was the highest a team took a kicker in seven years.

But, kicker is one of the lone positions in the NFL where a team can’t afford to wait on development, given how a single kick can change the outcome of a game.

So, will the 49ers bring in competition for Moody in 2025?

“Yeah, we’re going to bring someone else in [to compete at kicker],” head coach Kyle Shanahan said at the NFL’s annual meetings. “I know we weren’t going to go out and sign a guy right away in free agency, but I know [special teams coordinator] Brant [Boyer] and [assistant special teams coach] Colt [Anderson] are looking into some kickers throughout all these kicking camps, throughout the colleges and stuff. But we’d more likely like to add in a veteran, and hopefully, get him in here after draft time.”

The 49ers were linked to Miami kicker Andres Borregales early in the pre-draft process, but a veteran seems like the likelier approach, given the need for security at the position.

Moody started off the year hot in 2024, hitting 13 of his first 14 field goals, with the lone miss being a 55-yarder in a close 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.

But, he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, prompting him to miss over a month before returning in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where his struggles started to come together.

Moody hit just three of his six field goals in his first game back, missing from 49, 50, and 44 yards.

Overall, during the second half of the season, the kicker went just 11 of 20 on field goals, missing multiple kicks in three separate games, which was a serious concern for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.

This offseason, Moody will get a fresh slate and a chance to prove himself being fully healthy with a new special-teams staff, but his roster spot could very well be on the line if he loses the kicking competition to a veteran.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4...l-have-kicker-competition-with-veteran-kicker

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

Golden Nuggets: The ides of pre-draft April

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Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Sunday, April 6th, 2025

Report: 49ers to Host Marshall DE Mike Green on Top-30 Visit

“Green might be the second-best pass rusher in the draft after Abdul Carter. He has an explosive first few steps and can bend extremely well which allows him to turn the corner and sack the quarterback. He’s similar to a young Dee Ford.

Keep in mind, the 49ers once traded a second-round pick for an older, broken-down Dee Ford. That’s because Robert Saleh wants a speed rusher to complement Nick Bosa, who’s a methodical power rusher. When Ford was on the field, he frequently would be the first defensive lineman in the backfield so he would force the quarterback to move and hold the ball an extra beat which would give Bosa and the other defensive linemen more time to make the sack.

This was an effective formula. Don’t be surprised if the 49ers try to recreate it.

They already know Green because 49ers defensive quality control coach K.J. Wright worked with him at the Senior Bowl in January.”

49ers hold pre-draft visit, workout with Pitt OL Branson Taylor

“Taylor (6-6, 321) appeared in 45 games (21 starts) with the Pitt Panthers over five seasons. In 2024, he posted a career-high 76.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) as a starter, though that came in a limited sample of just 343 snaps. He started the first six games at left tackle, surrendering nine pressures and two sacks, before a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

“He has average foot quickness and struggles to redirect defenders who get on his edges,” wrote NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein in his draft profile. “He has shorter arms, with pass sets that are vulnerable to speed outside and counters inside. A move to guard could clear up those issues and give him a chance to fight for playing time in a power-based running scheme.”

Taylor also played in 11 games in 2023, earning a solid 73.1 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing 11 pressures and two sacks over 640 snaps. However, his run-blocking grades have lagged behind, failing to top 57.9 in either of the past two seasons.”

The 49ers seem intent on breaking the bank for Brock Purdy

“York treats it as an inevitability, as a subject on which the team has no choice. The quarterback has earned a massive, market-level contract. Which means they have to tighten the belt elsewhere. And they’re saying so.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The 49ers have leverage. Purdy is under contract for $5.3 million this year. The franchise tag for the quarterback position is currently $40.241 million.

The 49ers could do what the Cowboys did with Dak Prescott. Squat on the fourth year of his contract, tag him once, and then either pay him or tag him twice, knowing that he’ll become a free agent after the second tag.”

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4...-brock-purdy-contract-extension-trade-acl-nfl

 

[San Francisco 49ers]

2025 draft could be a referendum on 49ers’ 2024 selection

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The 49ers may look to find some additional insurance at wide receiver in the draft. How do they so may give a window into their thoughts on a 2024 selection.

Since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch took charge of the 49ers, there has been one draft in which they have not selected a wide receiver.

The 2021 draft is the only draft in the Shanahan-Lynch era that has seem them eschew the chance to take a wideout, their commitment to adding at the position perhaps reflective of a head coach who spent his college career as a wideout at Texas.

While there have been misses, Shanahan has had a good eye for the position in which he operated for the Longhorns, finding stars in the form of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, while there were very positive signs from first-round pick Ricky Pearsall down the stretch last season.

Yet with Samuel traded to the Washington Commanders and Aiyuk’s status for Week 1 up in the air as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and MCL suffered in Week 7 last season, the depth on the 49ers’ wide receiver depth chart does not look as strong as it once did.

San Francisco will be hoping for further strides from Pearsall and for Jauan Jennings to make further progress after falling agonizingly shy of a first 1,000-yard season in 2024.

Though the 49ers have the best tight end in football in George Kittle and, when healthy, the most well-rounded running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, the situation surrounding their wide receiver corps suggests they may have to add to it in the draft.

San Francisco already bolstered their options at the position by signing veteran Demarcus Robinson to a two-year, $8 million contract. Given their history, the likelihood is they will select another receiver in the draft. When they do so will give a major clue as to their opinion of the second wideout they took last year after picking Pearsall.

Jacob Cowing received very sparing playing time in his rookie year after being taken in the fourth round, featuring on just 11 percent (106) of the offensive snaps. He received only six targets, catching four of them, with three of them going for first downs.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was quizzed on Cowing’s lack of playing time following a Week 3 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, a game in which he largely watched from the sidelines, including when Ronnie Bell committed a key drop that helped cost San Francisco the game.

Shanahan said:

“He’s still working to get out there. He is trying to get more comfortable with the offense and just earn a role with it, gets closer and closer each week. Still got a bit to go, though. There’s lots of reasons that go into it, but he hasn’t been able to make his way into that group yet, and the more he gets comfortable with the offense and the more consistent he gets, then he’ll earn those opportunities.”

Those opportunities were few, however, with Cowing remaining at the bottom of the depth chart behind Bell until November, when the former seventh-round pick was released.

Cowing’s limited role came despite him flashing an intriguing blend of speed and route-running ability when he did get chances to play. He shone in the preseason games with the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders, and flashed his ability to create downfield separation when forced into action in the game that saw Aiyuk lost for the year, breaking free down the right sideline on a stop-and-go double move. His 41-yard reception would have been a touchdown had Brock Purdy produced a more accurate ball.

With Aiyuk – the 49ers’ best downfield weapon – on the shelf, it would have made sense for Cowing to move into a significantly increased role thereafter.

Yet that did not happen and the signing of Robinson – who ranked 14th in passer rating when targeted (89.0) on deep targets (min. 20) among wideouts last season, per PFF – could be interpreted as a lack of faith in Cowing to step into a role as the 49ers’ primary downfield threat in Aiyuk’s potential absence to start the year.

The 49ers taking a receiver early does not seem likely given their significant other needs in the trenches, but it would not be a surprise to see them select another as extra insurance given the uncertainty around Aiyuk.

For Cowing, the best-case scenario in that sense would be the 49ers waiting until the seventh round or perhaps even to undrafted free agents to fill out the depth chart. However, should they take the approach of using one of their four picks across the fourth and fifth rounds on a wideout, it would be a poor reflection on Cowing and Shanahan’s opinion of him as a potential difference-maker for the Niners going forward.

Cowing’s hopes of a larger role will be dented further if the 49ers repeat the move of selecting a receiver early on day three. Few people outside of the prospects still available watch the final day of the draft with much anxiety, but Cowing would be forgiven for feeling at least a little nervous in just under three weeks.

Source: https://www.ninersnation.com/2025/4/6/24402358/2025-nfl-draft-referendum-49ers-2024-selection