49ers mock 2022 NFL Draft after dust settles from free agency

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C.J. Wright #94 of the Georgia Southern Eagles reacts after sacking JD Head #2 of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Nose Tackle. Southern Eagles . C.J. Wright. 221. player. 2413.

Round 6, Pick No. 221 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select DT C.J. Wright, Georgia Southern

Losing D.J. Jones to free agency will hurt the Niners in more ways than one. Not only did San Francisco lose one of the biggest reasons behind its top-tier run defense over the second half of 2021, it lost a player who offered something in the interior pass-rush department, too.

And Jones went a long, long way in mitigating the season-ending knee injury suffered by defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw.

True, the 49ers inked veteran defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway to help alleviate Jones’ departure. But Ridgeway isn’t a true 1-technique defensive lineman, rather someone who can spell a number of spots along the line in a rotational role, arguably more of a 3-tech player.

Georgia Southern’s C.J. Wright, however, is more of a true 1-technique nose tackle, and his 6-foot-1, 285-pound frame epitomizes the short, squatty build the Niners have long preferred for this kind of role.

Wright managed five sacks his final season with the Eagles, so he does offer a bit of a pass rush, too, but it’ll be his rotational run-stopping abilities San Francisco will want to develop and utilize.