Niners stacking the deck on offense in draft

The Niners went grocery shopping in the NFL draft and came home with a half-empty bag. Cornerback and safety were priority needs, and they indeed improved their secondary with the selection of Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha. However, the greater, glaring, and pressing need—the must-have—was a plug-and-play tackle. And by that measure, they whiffed. According to Pro Football Focus, the Niners' offensive line was good in the run game but ranked 24th in pass protection. Left tackle Trent Williams excelled, but the line's right side needed improvement. The Chiefs exposed that deficiency in the Super Bowl. Many thought the Niners would target a tackle in the first round, even if it meant bundling picks to trade up and get a top-tier player.

Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk were both subjects of trade speculation before and during the draft. While the San Francisco 49ers seem poised to retain both receivers for at least one more season, their long-term futures with the team remain uncertain. The 49ers seek to sign Aiyuk to a contract extension, which could lead to efforts to offload Samuel's salary as early as next year. However, this remains speculative as the team's brass continues to express support for both players. RELATED: When the 49ers reportedly ceased entertaining Deebo Samuel trade offers During a segment on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access," former NFL running back Robert

ESPN's experts recently evaluated the best and most questionable moves of the 2024 NFL Draft. According to reporter Jeremy Fowler, one of the most puzzling decisions was the San Francisco 49ers selecting a wide receiver instead of upgrading their offensive line. Like many others, Fowler was surprised to hear Ricky Pearsall's name called with the No. 31 overall pick. "I'm not about to doubt coach Kyle Shanahan's eye for offensive skill players, and I love Pearsall as a player," Fowler explained. "But his place as WR6 in this draft was unexpected. Most teams I spoke to pegged him as a Day 2 pick. Considering the 49ers still

Last week, ESPN analyst Jordan Reid unveiled an early look at the 2025 NFL Draft, presenting one of the first mock drafts for next year's event. At first glance, San Francisco 49ers fans might be excited to see their favorite team selecting at the No. 32 overall pick, signaling a projected Super Bowl victory. However, Reid notes that the draft order was based on Super Bowl odds from ESPN BET, with San Francisco currently holding the best odds (+500). Reid also acknowledges that he hasn't extensively evaluated the prospects expected to be part of next year's draft class, stating, "This is super early. I