4 late-round pass-rush prospects 49ers can target in 2022 NFL Draft

49ers NFL Draft Target No. 1: Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

It might be something of a pipe dream to think South Carolina EDGE Kingsley Enagbare winds up falling into at least Round 4 of the 2022 NFL Draft. In many a big-board ranking out there, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound edge rusher is ranked as a top-100 prospect.

Being in that range, potentially making it into the latter stages of Round 2, surely wouldn’t deter the Niners. But for the purposes of this article, focusing on day-three targets, it would.

Nevertheless, the fluidity of prospects’ draft ranges from the middle portions of day two into the early stages of day three means Enagbare would have to be a focal point, and he’d surely be a steal if he somehow fell to San Francisco in Round 4 or especially in Round 5, which is a possibility.

Enagbare might not be a pure sack specialist, and he’s already behind on his 2020 sack trajectory that saw him take down quarterbacks six times over eight games, notching 4.5 over nine games played this season.

That said, there’s little questioning the motor here, and Enagbare plays with a relentless physicality that could make him a pocket-wrecker at the very least or, at best, a quality pass-rusher without sacrificing much defending against the run, potentially suggesting a three-down lineman.

True, there are some minor injury concerns, including a hip injury in 2019. But if the 49ers are willing to take that kind of risk late in the draft, especially if he falls, the payoff could be awfully nice.