Potential 49ers draft targets shine in first Senior Bowl practice

The first Senior Bowl practice is in the books, with NFL hopefuls taking the field Tuesday in Mobile, Alabama, to showcase their skills before a watchful contingent of NFL decision-makers. Among those in attendance was San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, who, along with members of his staff, appeared to pay close attention to offensive and defensive line drills.

Most expect the 49ers to prioritize bolstering their trenches in the 2025 NFL Draft, potentially using their first-round pick—No. 11 overall—to do so.

ESPN's draft analysts were also on hand to evaluate the prospects. Matt Miller noted that the defensive line is a strength of this draft class, which was evident during Tuesday's practice.

"Defensive tackle Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) and edge rushers Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) and Mike Green (Marshall) are considered first-round talents and looked the part during team and individual drills."

Among them, Stewart (6-5, 281) stood out with his size, power, and speed. While Miller acknowledged concerns over Stewart's low sack totals—just 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons—he noted that the Texas A&M product "flashed all the tools that scouts have raved about on Tuesday, especially a first step that offensive tackles struggled with throughout the session."

With nine defensive linemen graded as first- or second-round prospects at the event, offensive linemen faced a challenging day in practice.

"Defensive linemen Joshua Farmer (Florida State), Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) and Mike Green (Marshall) all stood out by winning one-on-one reps," Miller added. "Farmer's inside power was on display, and the outside speed from Ezeiruaku and Green was show-stopping."

Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou, one of the more intriguing offensive line prospects, missed practice due to illness. However, ESPN analyst Jordan Reid highlighted two offensive linemen who made a strong impression: Grey Zabel of North Dakota State and Anthony Belton of North Carolina State.

Reid called Zabel the best offensive lineman of the day, praising his performance in drills and the versatility he displayed—something that likely caught Lynch's eye.

"He fared best in the one-on-one portion, showing great strength and a sufficient anchor to slow down rushers," Reid wrote. "While Zabel played all three spots in practice, he looked most comfortable inside at guard and center, where most scouts have him projected. I have Zabel inside my top 50 and he's on a trajectory to be a second-round pick."

Reid also noted that pass rushers had difficulty getting past Belton.

"While he mostly played left tackle, the 6-foot-5, 345-pound Belton also slid inside for multiple reps," Reid wrote. "His strength stood out the most, as he used his complementary anchor to shut down rushers. Belton was outside of my top eight offensive tackles entering the week, but he helped himself out by displaying his versatility and power."

Virginia Tech defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles also turned heads with his high energy and disruptive play.

"He closed out the day with standout stops in the team portion, using his leverage at 6-foot-1, 290 pounds to make it difficult for blockers to land their hands cleanly on him," Reid wrote. "Peebles is an undersized 3-technique, but his ability to consistently penetrate the first level was seen frequently on Day 1. He's trending from mid-Day 3 to early Day 3 discussions."

Miller also provided insight into the offensive linemen in attendance, highlighting several potential first-round talents.

"On the offensive side, tackles Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota) and Wyatt Milum (West Virginia) showed why they're considered potential first-round picks," Miller wrote. "And I have to mention 'my guy' Josh Conerly Jr. as a big Day 1 winner. The Oregon tackle is my highest-ranked player in Mobile at No. 17 overall and showed his well-known poise and agility."

With both offensive and defensive linemen making strong impressions in Mobile, Lynch and his staff will have plenty to evaluate in the coming days. San Francisco should have no shortage of intriguing options in the 2025 NFL Draft.