Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Far-too-soon mock 2021 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

BERKELEY, CA - DECEMBER 01: Cornerback Paulson Adebo #11 of the Stanford Cardinal intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Vic Wharton III #17 of the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Berkeley, California. The Stanford Cardinal defeated the California Golden Bears 23-13. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
BERKELEY, CA - DECEMBER 01: Cornerback Paulson Adebo #11 of the Stanford Cardinal intercepts a pass intended for wide receiver Vic Wharton III #17 of the California Golden Bears during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Berkeley, California. The Stanford Cardinal defeated the California Golden Bears 23-13. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /
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Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina Gamecocks
Javon Kinlaw #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

With the 2020 NFL Draft complete, the San Francisco 49ers may have to address other needs a year from now, and Niner Noise offers up a too-soon mock for all seven rounds in 2021.

The San Francisco 49ers took home only five rookies via the 2020 NFL Draft, kicking off with South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw at No. 14 overall, followed by Arizona State wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk at No. 25.

Then, general manager John Lynch traded away a 2020 fifth- and 2021 third-round pick to the Washington Redskins for Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, alleviating the sudden retirement of veteran left tackle Joe Staley.

For the most part, the Niners stuck to their idea of finding players who had the best chance to make the regular-season roster.

Yet this ultimately meant Lynch and Co. punted on some budding needs they’ll likely have in coming years to keep the team a legitimate Super Bowl contender. A number of players, including Williams, are heading into contract years and are scheduled to be free agents in 2021. While there’s always the possibility of those players being re-signed, grabbing younger and cheaper options in the NFL Draft is a strong option, too.

There are plenty of factors and X-factors between now and the 2021 draft, such as possible re-signings, trades and college prospects foregoing the draft itself. So this seven-round 49ers mock will be like all the others: completely inaccurate.

What we do know, however, is some of San Francisco’s preliminary 2021 draft needs, as well as the rounds in which the Niners hold picks:

  1. Round 1
  2. Round 2
  3. Round 4
  4. Round 5
  5. Round 5 (compensatory)
  6. Round 6
  7. Round 7

Using FanSpeak’s 2021 mock draft tool, Niner Noise comes up with our first mock NFL Draft, way too early ahead of the actual event to be held in spring 2021.