49ers hope new start for Laken Tomlinson will bolster offensive line

While most expect the San Francisco 49ers to target an offensive lineman with their first-round pick, NFL Media lead draft writer Eric Edholm has the team going in another direction with the No. 31 overall pick. In his final mock draft of the year, Edholm has the team selecting former Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, who also goes by "Johnny." "If you're worried Newton's skill set overlaps too much with that of Javon Hargrave, consider that Hargrave is set to hit the salary cap at more than $28 million in the 2025 season -- when he'll be 32 years old," Edholm explained. "As a relentless scheme-wrecker, Newton would help alleviate the

The San Francisco 49ers hold the No. 31 overall pick, but speculation abounds that they may seek to move before or during the first round of next week's NFL Draft. With the offensive line as a prime target for improvement and the position going mostly ignored in free agency, a strategic trade-up to acquire an impact player could be in the cards. Alyssa Barbieri proposes such a scenario in her latest mock draft for USA Today's Touchdown Wire. Barbieri envisions the 49ers trading with the Miami Dolphins to move up 10 spots, selecting former Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham. Latham started 27 games

With the 2024 NFL Draft just around the corner, the anticipation is palpable as San Francisco prepares to make their first first-round selection in over two years. Here, I present the top prospects for each offensive position, both inside and outside the top 100, with their potential to shape the team's future and draft grades. Quarterback - Michael Penix Jr., Washington 2nd-round grade Strengths: Pocket passer High IQ and processing Blitz beater Concerns: Durability (Four season-ending injuries) Accuracy outside the pocket. Michael Penix Jr. is a great pocket-passing quarterback with a high IQ pre- and post-snap. He can read the defense well and

New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was a teammate of Brandon Aiyuk for one season (2019) at Arizona State. It was Aiyuk's final season with the Sun Devils and Pearsall's first, before transferring to Florida after the 2021 season. Now, the two are teammates again after the 49ers selected Pearsall with the No. 31 overall pick. Speaking to reporters after the first round, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that they received a text from Aiyuk after the pick was made. "Fire pick. Can't lie," Aiyuk said in the text, much to Lynch and Shanahan's delight. Shortly after hearing his name called, Pearsall spoke to reporters via Zoom and was asked about his relationship with Aiyuk. "We