49ers 7-round offense-only mock NFL Draft for 2022

Of course, the 49ers won’t solely focus on offensive players in the 2022 NFL Draft. But if they did, their 2022 class may look a bit like this seven-round mock.

What if the San Francisco 49ers took offensive players only in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft?

This won’t happen, obviously, although it wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen on draft day. And with the understanding of how the Niners offense largely flamed out in the playoffs last season, along with the fact general manager John Lynch would like to surround quarterback Trey Lance with as many weapons as possible, it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility the bulk of San Francisco’s nine picks in this year’s draft are used on offensive talent.

Last year’s trade-up for Lance cost the 49ers their Round 1 selection in 2022, meaning Lynch will have to wait until the tail end of the second round to make his first pick, barring some sort of aggressive trade-up again, which isn’t likely.

That said, there are plenty of quality offensive players to be had on day two of the draft, and there are even more supplementary hidden-gem talents who’ll be available on day three.

Six of the Niners’ 2022 draft picks are between Rounds 4 and 7, and it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Lynch trade up earlier in the draft while using some of those selections as ammunition.

At any rate, let’s have a little bit of fun here with an offense-only mock for San Francisco, using Pro Football Focus’ mock-draft tool to break down the selections and to create some randomness with the picks being made by the other 31 teams.

It’s Round 2, and the 49ers are on the clock… earlier than expected from their initial pick at No. 61 overall.

Round 1, Pick No. 51 Overall (from Steelers): 49ers select OT Abraham Lucas, Washington State

From the Niners’ perspective, this year’s NFL Draft class needs to be about quality of players, not sheer quantity. So a high number of draft picks is less valuable to John Lynch than landing immediate-impact players.

So, a proposed trade-up from No. 61 overall in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn’t be ruled out, and it’ll end up costing Lynch some of his day-three selections to move up 10 spots.

Pittsburgh could use some extra draft capital anyway, but without diving too deep into the Steelers’ needs, San Francisco can take comfort knowing it has a better shot at landing some first-round talent that slipped into Round 2 now.

And who cares much about sixth-round compensatory picks from the 49ers’ perspective, right?

At any rate, the 49ers’ selection winds up being Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas, who has notable upside in pass protection and can hold his own in run support, too.

While it might seem a luxury pick to grab a tackle this early, given both Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey are on the roster, McGlinchey is working his way back from a serious quad injury suffered last year and isn’t guaranteed to be anywhere close to 100 percent by the time the season starts.

Plus, entering a contract year, the Niners may deem it best to identify McGlinchey’s long-term replacement now if they’re not planning on retaining him.

Lucas also has the projection to be effective enough on the inside, too, giving San Francisco some immediate flexibility at guard if need be.

Round 3, Pick No. 93 Overall: 49ers select TE Greg Dulcich, UCLA

Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s desire to land a complementary tight end to pair with George Kittle isn’t anything new, but those efforts haven’t exactly produced a notable return.

Sure, the 49ers re-signing Kittle’s prior No. 2 positional backup, Ross Dwelley, to a one-year deal suggests they won’t be overly aggressive trying to find an upgrade in this year’s NFL Draft. But, given how Dwelley saw a dramatic decrease in use from 2020 to 2021, it wouldn’t be overly shocking if Shanahan wants to take some shots at what’s looking to be a deep class of tight ends this spring.

And with the No. 93 overall selection, that’s precisely what the Niners do, grabbing UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/30/2022.

The 6-foot-4, 243-pound Dulcich has some positive yards-after-the-catch potential, which is a staple of Shanahan’s offense. And while Dulcich won’t be anything close to the kind of blocker Kittle is, the former can certainly hold his own out on the perimeter against smaller linebackers and defensive backs.

What San Francisco will want, though, is someone with reliable hands who can take advantage of Kittle getting all the attention.

That’s precisely what Dulcich could be if the 49ers grab him here.

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

A long-term tackle and guard upgrades aren’t the only things the Niners have to consider early in this year’s NFL Draft.

They should also look at the hard realization veteran Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who’ll turn 37 years old this season, is on the verge of retirement. And while Mack appears to be coming back for one more year with San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan will want to identify Mack’s replacement sooner than later.

Shanahan has long preferred veterans in this spot, but a player as cerebral as Kentucky center Luke Fortner would be a wise choice.

At 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, Fortner makes up for a relative lack of athleticism with some excellent football IQ, diagnosing blitzes and calling for pass-protection sets as a well-developed starter for the Wildcats.

With the ability to double as a backup guard immediately out of the gate, the 49ers could work on honing Fortner’s skill set into an eventual starter’s role to replace Mack at some point down the road, likely in 2023 if the latter calls it a career.

Now having taken two offensive linemen in this mock draft, the Niners can focus on other areas of need.

Round 5, Pick No. 172 Overall: 49ers select WR Kevin Austin Jr., Notre Dame

On the surface, San Francisco’s wide receiver corps looks mostly set entering 2022. The 49ers already boast an All-Pro in Deebo Samuel, while two-year veteran Brandon Aiyuk came on strong in the second half of 2021.

In addition, No. 3 wideout Jauan Jennings made a number of notable impacts his second year, while the Niners onboarded slot-type receiver and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency.

However, there’s still room for some depth additions here, and it would certainly be of note if San Francisco could target another big-bodied option.

It took Notre Dame wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. a little while to catch on, but he did that for the Fighting Irish last season:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/30/2022.

At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, while also having ran a 4.43 40-yard time at his NFL Combine workouts, Austin looks the part of an elite-level receiver.

He’s raw, though, and it’ll take time for him to develop a full route tree while understanding the nuances of a complicated pro-style offense.

Considering Austin wouldn’t have to assume a prolific role right out of the gate, though, a team like the 49ers could afford to be patient with him.

Round 6, Pick No. 187 Overall (from Broncos): 49ers select RB Ty Chandler, North Carolina

A year ago, the Niners hit a home run in Round 6 by selecting former Louisiana running back Elijah Mitchell, who set a franchise record for a rookie with 963 rush yards in 2021.

In the wake of veteran tailback Raheem Mostert leaving in free agency and despite fellow veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. returning, it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see San Francisco look to find yet another late-round gem to help boost the run game.

Read More: What 49ers RB depth chart looks like with Raheem Mostert off to Dolphins

Even if it meant less use for players like Wilson and fellow 2021 rookie tailback Trey Sermon.

North Carolina running back Ty Chandler, 5-foot-11 and 204 pounds, has excellent speed, having ran a 4.38 40-yard time during the combine, and his dual-purpose use in the run and receiving games, both with the Tar Heels and at Tennessee prior, suggests he can be a multifaceted weapon for Kyle Shanahan.

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 3/30/2022.

If anything, Chandler would look to be an upgrade over the 49ers’ current No. 4 running back on the depth chart, JaMycal Hasty, and perhaps Chandler could offer a bit more spark out of the backfield in receiving packages, too.

Round 7, Pick No. 262 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select WR Braylon Sanders, Ole Miss

Sure, the Niners have already stockpiled some wide receiver depth earlier in the draft by adding Kevin Austin. Yet Austin isn’t necessarily a big-time home-run threat when he gets the ball in his hands.

What might be of greater use is a gadget-type weapon who has some field-stretching capabilities.

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Ole Miss wide receiver Braylon Sanders has demonstrated that to a nice degree, averaging over 22 yards per reception during his final two years with the Rebels. Yet the 6-foot, 194-pound wideout does come with a notable injury history, and that’s something San Francisco would prefer to avoid.

However, with the “Mr. Irrelevant” pick of this year’s NFL Draft, and with the knowledge Sanders would be little more than a situational player if he rises above just being on the 90-man offseason roster, it doesn’t exactly matter this deep in the draft anyway.

The 49ers would be banking on Sanders’ upside, little else. And with the need to spark some competition at the back end of the receiving depth chart, they could surely do worse.

Especially if the Niners only grab offensive players, which they won’t.