NFC West Draft Winds: Rumors connecting players, NFL teams

A questionable rumor surfaced on Wednesday regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers' interest in San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Sports Illustrated contributor Noah Strackbein reported that the AFC team was seemingly confident they could pull off a trade for Aiyuk. However, the credibility of this report comes into question due to the assertion that the Steelers believe they could acquire Aiyuk at a bargain price, possibly in exchange for a second-round draft pick and a late-round selection. RELATED: Steelers believe they can acquire Aiyuk at a

The upcoming NFL Draft holds special significance for the San Francisco 49ers, with ties to several familiar faces from the team's past. A handful of legacy players hope to make their mark, possibly receiving a life-changing call from 49ers general manager John Lynch. Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice, is one such player. The former USC wideout is projected to be a fourth-round draft pick and had the opportunity to meet with the 49ers at the NFL Scouting Combine. When asked about the possibility of joining his father's former team, Brenden confidently expressed, "Honestly, I just

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus unveiled a seven-round mock draft for the San Francisco 49ers, addressing several key needs for the team in the 10-pick projection. Interestingly, the mock draft sees the team adding two legacy players. But before delving into that, let's examine the first three selections. Sikkema has the 49ers shoring up their offensive line at pick No. 31 with the selection of former Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan. Morgan allowed 14 pressures and two sacks in his 477 pass-blocking snaps at left tackle in 2023. He earned an impressive pass-blocking grade of 87.3 and an overall grade of

The 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, leaving the San Francisco 49ers with a draft class consisting of eight players—five on defense and three on offense. The coaching staff has shifted its focus to integrating these new additions into their plans for the upcoming season. Concurrently, media experts are delivering their annual assessments, grading each NFL team's latest batch of rookies. Grading players who have yet to play a single NFL snap might seem premature, especially at this early stage of the offseason. Nevertheless, it serves to evaluate how each team addressed its perceived pre-draft needs. Outlined below are the grades assigned by notable analysts and writers in the media and what they had to say about the 49ers' 2024 draft class. Each grade is