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

The 49ers didn’t make a lot of big-time moves in free agency, but the ones they did influence our latest seven-round mock NFL Draft for 2022.

As far as NFL free agency went for the San Francisco 49ers, there weren’t exactly too many surprises.

The Niners already faced the very real possibility of losing nose tackle D.J. Jones, running back Raheem Mostert, cornerback K’Waun Williams and Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson on the market. And in the cases of Jones and Tomlinson, their respective deals with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets went far above what San Francisco could afford to pay, and Mostert and Williams are now gone, too.

Yet the 49ers responded by signing former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward, arguably helping solve the biggest positional need general manager John Lynch had for 2022, while many of the other free-agent deals focused on depth and upgrades for special teams.

Perhaps the biggest shocker, however, is the fact the Niners weren’t able to trade quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo around the opening wave of free agency, as that was highly anticipated to be Lynch’s biggest offseason move yet.

There are plenty of reasons why no trade went down, but the immediate impact right now will be less capital for Lynch and Co. to attack the 2022 NFL Draft.

Read More: 4 reasons why no one is trading for Jimmy Garoppolo

Nevertheless, San Francisco still owns nine picks in this year’s draft, including six on day three. But without a first-round pick in tow, the 49ers will have to wait and see which prospects fall to them in Round 2.

Using the mock draft simulator from our pals over at Pro Football Focus, let’s mock out all seven six rounds in which the Niners will be picking, potentially tossing in some trades in the process!

With the 61st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, San Francisco is now on the clock.

Round 1, Pick No. 61 Overall: 49ers select OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State

Niner Noise’s conversations with Rob Lowder of the Striking Gold Podcast, and a Niner Noise alumnus, changed the option of the 49ers needing a pass-rusher right out of the gate with their first pick.

Particularly with Laken Tomlinson leaving, along with other uncertainties here, the biggest question mark is the offensive line.

In addition to post-Tomlinson questions, the Niners may be looking to either replace right tackle Mike McGlinchey when his contract expires in 2023 or guard against the fact he’s coming off a torn quad and subsequent surgery last season. McGlinchey’s primary backup, Tom Compton, also left San Francisco via free agency, too, leaving only Colton McKivitz, Justin Skule and Jaylon Moore as on-roster replacements.

Not ideal.

Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas rose up NFL Draft boards with an impressive 4.92 40-yard time, which is impressive for his 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame. There’s some rawness to his game, and he won’t be anywhere near the kind of run-blocker McGlinchey is. And as it stands now, Lucas might have to start off his career at the pro level inside at guard.

Still, the 49ers could stand for an upgrade at right guard with Daniel Brunskill there, too.

It wouldn’t be a flashy pick, but adding Lucas could help solve some of the growing issues along the O-line this offseason.

Round 3, Pick No. 78 Overall (from Browns): 49ers select EDGE Cameron Thomas, San Diego State

What’s this? A trade?

Yes, the Niners trade up in Round 3 for this particular mock NFL Draft, making a deal with the Cleveland Browns that involves shipping off San Francisco’s own third-round pick, plus two day-three selections, to Cleveland for the No. 78 overall selection.

Despite their losses in free agency, the 49ers are still a stacked team and don’t have too many holes. It’s not so much about the quantity of player selections, rather it’s about the quality.

Better players are more important than more merely-OK ones.

A good outside pass-rusher could have been the Niners’ top priority in the draft. With the offensive line taking over that spot, finding a complementary EDGE to pair with Nick Bosa is nevertheless a high priority.

Good thing this year’s class is chock full of good pass-rushers.

To achieve this, San Francisco trades up for San Diego State EDGE Cameron Thomas, the 6-foot-4 and 267-pound prospect who recorded 10.5 sacks his final collegiate season.

Thomas might not be anything close to a prolific pass-rusher at the NFL level, but he does project to be a good rotational option, and the 49ers have a need for those, too, especially with veteran EDGE Dee Ford’s injury history and a lack of depth elsewhere to support Bosa.

Round 3, Pick No. 105 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select OL Luke Fortner, Kentucky

Yes, another pick to reinforce the trenches. But that’s been a Niners focus for some time now, and the additions in free agency at cornerback have largely negated the need to spend early capital on defensive backs.

San Francisco has to worry about the interior of its offensive line, too, and in a number of areas. Daniel Brunskill is a serviceable starter, yes, but he’s always a player on the fringes of needing an upgrade. The 49ers are expected to start last year’s second-round pick, Aaron Banks, in place of Laken Tomlinson at left guard. But Banks wasn’t wholly impressive his rookie year and could go bust, too.

All the while, veteran Pro Bowl center Alex Mack is reaching the final stages of his career.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan likes veterans at center, but going after Kentucky interior lineman Luke Fortner could potentially solve some issues.

For starters, he might immediately be an upgrade at right guard over Brunskill, while also adding some insurance in case Banks struggles. Over the long run, the 6-foot-4 and 307-pound Fortner could potentially evolve into Mack’s replacement, starting off as a high-quality backup with the upside of being a good starter in a year or two’s time.

Round 4, Pick No. 134 Overall: 49ers select CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State

Just because the Niners added Charvarius Ward and re-signed fellow corner Dontae Johnson doesn’t mean they can completely avoid needs at the position.

If anything, ensuring the depth is protected and options are available, particularly if second-year pros like Ambry Thomas and Deommodore Lenoir struggle or regress, should be one of the tasks on San Francisco’s to-do list on day three of the draft.

As far as intangibles go, Sam Houston State cornerback Zyon McCollum has a lot of what’ll be desirable: a 6-foot-2 and 199-pound frame with a 4.33 40-yard time at his NFL Scouting Combine workouts.

While McCollum is more of a zone corner at this stage in his career, and it’s possible he ends up being a better safety than boundary cornerback, having a versatile piece with the ideal frame is something the 49ers need to take a chance on.

On top of that, McCollum made his mark on special teams, too, and the Niners have been focusing on upgrading that crucial third phase all offseason, meaning this kind of selection wouldn’t be shocking at all.

Round 6, Pick No. 220 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select WR Dontario Drummond, Ole Miss

Up to this point, San Francisco has largely avoided targeting offensive skill players, and it’s not without reason. The 49ers re-signed depth running back Jeff Wilson Jr. and also brought aboard the shifty wide receiver, Ray-Ray McCloud, to help in both the return game and as an offensive gadget weapon.

Still, the back end of the Niners wide receiver depth chart could use some additional help, and that’s where Ole Miss wideout Dontario Drummond comes into play with the first of two compensatory selections San Francisco has in Round 6.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/23/2022.

Drummond, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, isn’t going to win any speed competitions, and his 4.65 40-yard time at the NFL Combine was slightly disappointing. However, he does have a quality route tree and can create extra gains with the 49ers’ top offensive specialty: yards after the catch.

He might have to compete for a WR4 or WR5 spot on the depth chart, perhaps pushing third-year wideout Jauan Jennings for a specialized role.

But getting Drummond into the fray could certainly help ensure the depth isn’t lacking regardless.

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.

Round 7, Pick No. 262 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select TE Cameron Latu, Alabama

Ah, yes. Mr. Irrelevant.

The 49ers own the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, meaning they’ll have the honor of selecting the last player on draft day.

And in this case, it’s Alabama tight end Cameron Latu, the converted linebacker who showed up in a big way for the Crimson Tide last season.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/23/2022.

Latu, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, ran a solid 4.62 40-yard time at his pro day, which isn’t bad for a tight end of his size. And while his blocking technique is a bit raw, and one shouldn’t expect his route-running abilities to be top-notch, he is nevertheless a reliable pass-catching target.

The Niners have long since tried finding a top-quality No. 2 tight end to pair with All-Pro George Kittle. And while that might evade them in this year’s draft, they’ll also need to figure out how to replace fellow tight end Ross Dwelley, who essentially served that role over the last three seasons.

Sure, Latu might not turn into much more than a situational player, but the upside is worth the late-round Mr. Irrelevant flier.