NFL Network host Rhett Lewis released his first mock draft of the year on NFL.com. What does he project the San Francisco 49ers doing with the No. 31 overall pick? Lewis has the team acquiring some edge-rushing help, bolstering a group that already includes Nick Bosa and newly signed Leonard Floyd.
The host has the 49ers selecting former Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson.
According to Sports Reference, Robinson registered 41 tackles, including 17.5 for a loss, 9.5 sacks, three passes defensed, and three forced fumbles in two seasons with the Nittany Lions after transferring from Maryland.
"Robinson is another athletic freak of a pass rusher out of Penn State, but he had limited production in his two seasons for the Nittany Lions," Lewis explained. "However, the Niners have one of the best D-line coaches in the league in Kris Kocurek, who can help pull the production out of Chop's potential."
Robinson boasted Pro Football Focus' sixth-highest overall grade (90.8) and fourth-highest pass-rush grade (92.3) among collegiate edge rushers in 2023.
Lewis isn't the only one who can envision the 49ers using their first-round pick on Robinson. His colleague, analyst Daniel Jeremiah, also projected that the 49ers would select the Penn State product.
While the popular belief is that San Francisco will use its first draft selection on an offensive lineman, Jeremiah recently explained why adding another pass rusher isn't out of the question.
"Look, when I look at the Niners, it's a philosophical thing," Jeremiah explained during a radio interview last month. "It's them, it's the Eagles, the Jets are another team. They all run that same front. They all want to attack with their front, and they all want to roll guys through. And Kris Kocurek has done such a wonderful job of that, having different waves of rushers.
"You look at it and say, 'Okay, gosh, you've got Bosa, you just paid Floyd, you've still got Drake Jackson there, you bring in Yetur Gross-Matos,' it doesn't matter. You can never have enough of those guys. And if you have talent that slides down the board and lands in your lap, they will continue to address that."