4 dark-horse top targets for 49ers in 2022 NFL Draft

49ers NFL Draft dark-horse No. 1: WR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama

If Kyle Shanahan had his way, arguably the top-two picks of every Niners draft class would be offensive players, even though San Francisco is already pretty well equipped at the skill positions to support second-year quarterback Trey Lance.

Particularly at wide receiver, where Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk look to build off impressive 2021 campaigns.

Still, one can’t imagine a situation where Shanahan would turn his back on one of college football’s more explosive big-play receivers in South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert, who enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns the last two years:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/4/2022.

The 6-foot-1, 194-pound Tolbert is squarely a day-two pick, likely on the fringes between Rounds 2 and 3 where the 49ers would be getting ready to submit their first selection of the draft.

Tobert might not have top-end speed, but his route-running skills are among the best out of this year’s receiving prospects, and his ability to break away from coverage is certainly noticeable, too.

Even if Tolbert would assume nothing more than a third wide receiver role early on, his kind of big-play potential would truly make the Niners offense dangerous while also giving Lance one more much-needed weapon.