49ers 7-round mock NFL Draft after trading Jimmy Garoppolo

In our first mock of the 49ers offseason, Niner Noise looks at which prospects may be brought aboard in the 2022 NFL Draft after a Jimmy Garoppolo trade.

For all intents and purposes, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo likely just played his final game with the San Francisco 49ers, a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 NFC Championship game.

Sure, there might be a slim chance the Niners retain Jimmy G next season and delay the inevitable starting reign of their top pick from last year’s NFL Draft, quarterback Trey Lance, for another season. But even if that was a realistic plausibility, San Francisco’s need to re-sign and extend other talents on the roster means freeing up the bulk of the $27 million owed to Garoppolo in 2022 will be a top priority.

Additionally, with the 49ers surrendering first- and third-round picks in 2022 to get Lance, general manager John Lynch would like to recoup some draft capital this offseason, and moving Garoppolo helps with that.

Especially in what’s shaping up to be a weak offseason quarterback market, both in terms of free agency and the NFL Draft itself.

In Niner Noise’s first mock draft of the offseason, we take a look at all seven rounds and predict what Lynch and Co. will do in the wake of trading Garoppolo this offseason.

First, the trade that’ll likely take place long before Round 1 of the draft kicks off in late April.

49ers add to 2022 NFL Draft stockpile by trading Jimmy Garoppolo to Steelers

Garoppolo’s trade value certainly increased with the Niners winning two playoff games, and a cold quarterback market could create a bit of a bidding war.

One of those teams potentially in the hunt is the Pittsburgh Steelers, a perennial playoff contender that still has to build a better run defense and offensive line but will be looking for some continuity in the wake of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.

Armed with a projected six picks in the 2022 draft, Pittsburgh dishes out its second-round selection for Jimmy G.

San Francisco would still be without a first-round selection, but having two Round 2 picks helps make up for that.

Including the projected compensatory picks (those will be announced later this spring), the 49ers would have nine total selections in the 2022 NFL Draft as follows:

• Round 2, No. 52 overall (from Steelers)
• Round 2, No. 61 overall
• Round 3, No. 93 overall
• Round 4, No. 130 overall
• Round 5, No. 170 overall
• Round 6, No. 186 overall (from Broncos)
• Round 7, No. 251 overall (compensatory)
• Round 7, No. 254 overall (compensatory)
• Round 7, No. 260 overall (compensatory)

Adding to the speculation and fun, we’ll use The Draft Network’s mock drafting tool for all seven rounds.

Let’s go.

Round 2, Pick No. 52 Overall (from Steelers): CB Tariq Woolen, UTSA

The 49ers may have received some modest improvement at cornerback as the regular season drew on, particularly with 2021 rookie corner Ambry Thomas getting noticeably better with each passing game after a rough start.

The Niners’ initial prognosis for their boundary play in 2022 would appear to be Thomas and Emmanuel Moseley, yet there’s still room for improvement and the need to potentially replace their starting nickel cornerback, K’Waun Williams, who’ll be an older free agent this offseason anyway.

Simply put, San Francisco can’t avoid passing on cornerbacks early in the draft as it has in previous seasons.

At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, UTSA cornerback Tariq Woolen has that rare blend of size, speed and physicality to make for an enticing prospect. The former wide receiver, one who converted to cornerback in 2020, might be a bit raw and will need some refinement. Yet he already showcased some of that transitional ability over the last two years.

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There’s still a good chance Thomas doesn’t pan out, and Moseley seems to be on the fringe of being a good corner but someone who can always be upgraded.

Regardless, focusing on the best cornerback available with the pick the 49ers received from the Steelers for Jimmy Garoppolo is a solid plan.

Round 2, Pick No. 61 Overall: EDGE Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina

Hey, at least the Niners didn’t draft another defensive lineman in the first round, right?

In all honesty, though, San Francisco will likely need to reinforce its defensive line this offseason and in a number of different ways. EDGE Nick Bosa, who led the team with 15.5 sacks, will be due a massive contract extension soon, but the best pass-rushing defenses typically have two players who can get after the quarterback regularly.

With fellow EDGE Dee Ford’s short- and long-term futures in serious doubt because of a back injury, it’s likely the 49ers are forced to turn to the offseason to find another promising pass-rusher to replace him.

Especially if they’re unable to retain defensive end Arden Key, who’ll be a free agent in 2022 after recording a career-best 6.5 sacks last year.

South Carolina EDGE Kingsley Enagbare has been mentioned in Niner Noise NFL Draft chatter already, and the 6-foot-4, 265-pound prospect is one of those players who can either line up as an edge rusher or even on the inside as a 3-technique player, adding to the flexibility and versatility of the D-line.

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Good enough against the run, Enagbare should flourish as a pass-rusher with a deep array of moves and techniques, and one can only imagine what defensive line coach Kris Kocurek could get out of him.

With two notable pass-rushers rostered, Enagbare on his rookie contract, the Niners defense should be set up nicely for some time.

Round 3, Pick No. 93 Overall: TE Cade Otton

On the surface, using a day-two draft pick on a tight end seems like a bit of a luxury move. Yet there’s some merit to it.

For starters, San Francisco is poised to lose its No. 2 tight end in support of George Kittle, Ross Dwelley, to free agency. That’d leave soon-to-be third-year pro Charlie Woerner as the only bona fide option to support Kittle.

Additionally, Kittle carries with him a bit of an unfortunate injury history, missing three games last year and eight before that, so it would make some insurance sense to find someone who could fill a potential void.

Plus, head coach Kyle Shanahan has seemingly been searching for a high-quality No. 2 tight end for a while now.

Washington’s Cade Otton, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, suffered a bit of a drop in production from the four-game, 18-catch, 258-yard effort he showed in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, settling for only 28 catches for 250 yards over eight games in 2021.

Still, he does have a lot of likable traits going beyond just being a good blocker, which will be important, and a complementary piece to the passing game should serve Shanahan’s offense well.

Round 4, Pick No. 127 Overall (via Titans): OL Alec Lindstrom, Boston College

A fairly loaded 49ers roster means John Lynch shouldn’t be focusing more on the quantity of prospects, rather quality. So, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners use some of their late-round picks as ammunition to trade up earlier in the NFL Draft.

That’s what we have mocked here with Lynch moving up a few spots from San Francisco’s original pick in Round 4, No. 130 overall, to No 127 overall in a deal with the Tennessee Titans.

One less seventh-round pick isn’t going to hurt anything for the 49ers, and they do have a need to beef up the interior of the offensive line, particularly in the wake of last year’s second-round pick, offensive guard Aaron Banks, flopping his rookie season and knowing fully well veteran center Alex Mack could potentially retire this offseason.

Even if Mack returns, he’ll eventually need to be replaced with his career beginning to wind down.

Plus, the Niners could easily lose soon-to-be free-agent left guard Laken Tomlinson, too, creating even more trouble.

Boston College center Alec Lindstrom might be a tad undersized at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds. But he moves exceptionally well and is seen as a great fit for a zone-style offense.

One year as a guard, then potentially moving into a center role to replace Mack, might be the right approach for San Francisco, and spending that little extra effort to steal him away from teams drafting between Nos. 128 and 129 is a shifty move.

Round 5, Pick No. 170 Overall: CB Jack Jones, Arizona State

Again, the 49ers need to spend more effort on developing options within the secondary, and the need will still be there if they end up re-signing K’Waun Williams, who’ll turn 31 years old by the time the 2022 season begins.

Williams’ play, particularly in the playoffs, left a bit to be desired anyway, and the current crop of options to fill a would-be void aren’t exactly promising.

Although one might expect the Niners to go through their regular ritual of signing and releasing the versatile backup corner, Dontae Johnson.

Anyway, Arizona State cornerback Jack Jones is a very enticing prospect with 10 career interceptions over his collegiate tenure, including his freshman year at USC before transferring. At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, his size will certainly deter some teams from placing anything more than a day-three grade on him.

But he makes up for it with incredible athleticism and ballhawking traits, elements San Francisco’s defense could sorely need after being only so-so in the interception department last season.

Round 6, Pick No. 186 Overall (from Broncos): RB Jerome Ford, Cincinnati

Just like the 49ers’ situation at tight end, it wouldn’t seem necessary for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to use another pick on a luxury position, namely running back in this case.

After all, 2021 rookie tailback Elijah Mitchell set a franchise record for a first-year player with 963 rush yards last season, and he’s now poised to take over for veteran running back Raheem Mostert next season in light of Mostert’s season-ending knee injury suffered way back in Week 1.

And the fact Mostert is a free agent this offseason, one not likely to be re-signed.

Beyond Mitchell, there are question marks. Fellow rookie runner Trey Sermon hasn’t panned out just yet, and veteran running back Jeff Wilson Jr. is a free agent, too. The only other legitimate option on the roster is third-year pro JaMycal Hasty, who has essentially been little more than a gadget player over his first two seasons.

Enter Cincinnati’s Jerome Ford.

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Ford has all the makings of being the next late-round gem Shanahan could identify. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back who burst on the scene in 2021 might not be anything close to the high-profile rushers from last year’s draft class. But Ford possesses elite-level speed, like Mitchell, and also can react quickly to open lanes with excellent shiftiness.

Mitchell’s injury history could surely open up the door to make someone like Ford a wise choice with the selection the Niners acquired from the Denver Broncos in last year’s trade of linebacker Jonas Griffith.

Round 7, Pick No. 254 (Compensatory): S Leon O’ Neal Jr., Texas A&M

If we haven’t started blindly throwing darts at the dartboard, we certainly are now. That’s essentially what happens on day three of the NFL Draft anyway, and Round 7 picks are the absolute definition of doing so.

Just hope to get lucky. That’s it.

With only two compensatory picks remaining for San Francisco after trading one away earlier, a thought has to shift to potentially finding either depth or a replacement for veteran strong safety Jaquiski Tartt, who has a notable injury history and will be a free agent in 2022 anyway.

Read More: 5 cornerbacks 49ers must target in 2022 NFL Draft

Even if Tartt returns, finding additional contingency options would be wise. On the surface, one of these might appear to be second-year pro Talanoa Hufanga, who had some splash moments (including that special teams touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs), but Hufanga remained a coverage liability for much of the year.

Texas A&M safety Leon O’Neal Jr. isn’t exactly a top-end option in coverage, lacking straightline speed and sometimes taking bad angles. But, at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he does possess the kind of physicality that would make him a worthy flier as a developmental piece and special teams contributor right out of the gate.

Six interceptions over four collegiate seasons won’t go unnoticed either.

Round 7, Pick No. 260 Overall (Compensatory): OL Xavier Newman, Baylor

The 49ers are already hoping Alec Lindstrom can help alleviate some of the concerns they have within the interior of their offensive line moving forward, but Lindstrom’s lack of size could mean he’s simply overwhelmed by bigger, stronger interior defensive linemen.

Such as the Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald, whom he’d have to face twice a year.

Even if Lindstrom succeeds, the fact the Niners could see some notable turnover within this unit over the next couple of years means some extra capital will need to be spent to beef up the depth.

Baylor interior offensive lineman Xavier Newman, 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds, has a bit more of that bulk yet doesn’t sacrifice when it comes to movement skills.

A quality run-blocker, Newman could end up being another versatile interior specialist, supporting both guard and center duties at the next level, while at least adding some competition to an O-line that lacked serious depth over the course of 2021.

The 2022 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 28 from Las Vegas, Nevada.