3 biggest needs atop 49ers wish list for 2022 NFL Draft

49ers draft need No. 3: Defensive line

It certainly isn’t as pressing as it was in previous offseasons, and fans would certainly groan if the 49ers used yet another top pick on a defensive lineman.

But there are reasons why this is still a pressing need aside from the others.

For starters, the Niners already lost nose tackle D.J. Jones to the Denver Broncos in free agency. And while they can hope both Kevin Givens and Javon Kinlaw fill the void, Givens is more of a backup-caliber player and Kinlaw has missed substantial chunks of the last two seasons with knee issues.

If interior D-line depth is a notable need, the desire to land another quality outside pass-rusher should be even greater.

San Francisco can’t pin all of its pass-rushing hopes on EDGE Nick Bosa, who had 15.5 sacks last season, and it just watched defensive end Arden Key and his 6.5 sacks from 2021 depart for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Sure, bringing back defensive end Kerry Hyder from his one-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks will help, especially if Hyder can replicate his 8.5-sack campaign with the 49ers from 2020.

But, in an ideal world, the Niners would have a No. 2 high-end pass-rusher on the opposite side of Bosa at all times.

Good thing this year’s draft has plenty of pass-rushing options up and down all seven rounds.