Breaking down the 49ers' Day 2 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft

After a countless number of drafts where the 49ers built their roster via the first round, San Francisco dove into uncharted waters last weekend, as they had their first selection at No. 61 overall, since they traded up for their franchise quarterback in Trey Lance last offseason, sending their last year's first-rounder, this year's first-rounder, and next year's first-rounder as a part of the package.

However, that doesn't mean the 49ers weren't productive in the draft, as they selected nine players in an extremely deep draft class, where some players that were expected to go in the middle rounds fell out of the draft altogether.

Here's an breakdown of the 49ers Day 2 draft class.

Round 2, pick No. 61: OLB Drake Jackson(USC)

After the Seattle Seahawks selected edge rusher Boye Mafe out of Minnesota with the 40th overall pick, it seemed that Jackson's wait wouldn't be for much longer, as the USC product was the next best-available healthy talent at the position of importance.

However, the Baltimore Ravens selected Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo, who tore his Achilles at his Pro Day earlier in the offseason, and would've been a top-15 selection had he not gotten injured.

Then, the Dallas Cowboys went with Ole Miss edge rusher Sam Williams, whose off-the-field issues were expected to hurt his draft stock, but ended up not having as big of an impact.

So, the 49ers remained patient and got a potential first-round talent at the 61st pick, who can be the future of the position for the 49ers opposite of star edge rusher Nick Bosa as a dangerous 1-2 combo.

This was most certainly one of their best value selections, if not the most valuable selection of them all in 2022, and the pick represented a change in philosophy for the 49ers, who have been known to reach for needs over the best-player-available, especially in the earlier rounds.

Round 3, pick No. 93: RB Ty Davis-Price(LSU)

With their first of two third-round selections, the 49ers elected to find Elijah Mitchell's complement for 2022, drafting running back Ty Davis Price out of LSU.

The pick was confusing for a multitude of reasons: there were multiple safeties, a major position of need for the 49ers, on the board in Nick Cross and Kerby Joseph, and Davis-Price was projected to go multiple rounds later by draft analysts.

However, as we've seen before, Kyle Shanahan isn't afraid of getting his guy at a position he values higher than others, hence why he selected a running back so early, instead of improving the more important aspects of the roster.

Davis-Price provides a newfound sense of explosiveness to the running back room, and it was further shown at the NFL Combine, where he ran a 1.53 10-yard split, which ranked in the 93rd percentile of all players at the position.

With a superior offensive line in San Francisco as compared to his collegiate days, Davis-Price should have the opportunity to contribute early with the 49ers as the team looks to pound the ball in Trey Lance's first year as a starter.

Round 3, pick No. 105: WR Danny Gray(SMU)

The 49ers continued to shore up their offensive brass with their second third-round selection, selecting speedy receiver Danny Gray out of SMU with the 105th overall pick, concluding Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

Gray, who ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, excels not only with his pure deep speed, but also in working after the catch, which, given his toughness, should translate to the NFL level.

The 49ers are a franchise that heavily incorporates the yards-after-the-catch methodology into their offensive system, which should increase Gray's confidence as a receiver as he looks to overcome the drop issues that harmed some of his production at the collegiate level.

Gray currently slots in as the fifth receiver on the 49ers' depth chart, behind the likes of Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ray-Ray McCloud, so there isn't a pressing need for him to contribute immediately, but he provides a different element in the receiver room for the 49ers with that elite speed.

Written By: