The 49ers are fortunate enough not to have too many glaring weaknesses on their roster before the 2022 NFL Draft, but these four spots need some help.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have never been shy about looking to upgrade any given position when possible.
This is a decent position to be in, too, especially when the Niners (mostly) boast a playoff-caliber roster heading into 2022. And while the team ultimately failed to move quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at the start of the league new year, which could have freed up more money to attack free agency, a relatively small cast of free-agent additions suggests they’re content enough with the bulk of players they have rostered right now.
However, with the 2022 NFL Draft fast approaching, the opportunity to infuse some cheap, younger talent will be there as well.
While having to wait until late in Round 2 to make its first selection, San Francisco can nevertheless look to plug some roster gaps with some of the nine picks at its disposal.
Knowing which holes on the roster exist will be paramount for Shanahan and Lynch, too, so let’s go ahead and break down the four biggest ones needing to be reinforced.
49ers hole No. 4: Strong safety
There’s still a possibility the 49ers look to bring back veteran strong safety Jaquiski Tartt, who remains a free agent as of this writing. However, with the Niners onboarding former Indianapolis Colts safety George Odum, primarily a special teams ace over his four-year career, it’s possible Tartt has been jettisoned for good.
Odum’s role might increase with San Francisco in contrast to what he was asked to do with the Indianapolis Colts previously, him having started only 10 games during his career. And if the 49ers aren’t totally comfortable with that prospect, they could feasibly turn to backup safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Tarvarius Moore.
However, Hufanga’s coverage deficiencies were on display for much of last season. While he was still a rookie, Hufanga’s 60.2 pass-coverage grade from Pro Football Focus leaves enough to be desired.
And Moore is working his way back from a 2021 offseason Achilles tear.
There are a number of good-quality safeties to be had in this year’s draft, so it wouldn’t be overly shocking to see the Niners use a day-two pick to get an upgrade over those three options.
49ers hole No. 3: Cornerback
Yes, San Francisco’s big-ticket free-agent acquisition this offseason was former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward, who’ll be slotted in as the de facto No. 1 player at his position on the team’s depth chart.
However, it would be a smart move to avoid neglecting this spot on the roster by the time the draft rolls around.
2021 rookie Ambry Thomas showed some promise late in the year after some early struggles that carried over into his first few games as a starter beyond the halfway point of the season. He’s certainly in the mix to start, but there’s no guarantee he’ll wind up being an adequate and reliable option.
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Likewise, veteran corner Emmanuel Moseley is one of those players who is good enough as a starter but always seems to prompt the desire to upgrade, sort of on the fringes between starting and serving as a backup.
The biggest gap is arguably felt, though, by the free-agent departure of nickel cornerback K’Waun Williams, which may prompt the 49ers to seek out someone who can play over the slot or to serve solely on the boundary, thereby moving Moseley inside on a permanent basis.
As is the case at safety, there are a number of likable options at cornerback on the second and third days of the draft.
49ers hole No. 2: Outside pass-rusher
Niners fans may groan a bit if the team uses yet another top pick on a defensive lineman after having set that trend for many a season and even before both Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch arrived in 2017.
However, it’s still a need.
While San Francisco’s depth and the free-agent pickup of defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway hope to cover up the free-agent loss of nose tackle D.J. Jones, the more pressing need is to identify an outside pass-rusher to pair with Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa.
Bosa can’t be tasked with shouldering the bulk of the 49ers’ sack efforts like he did in 2021 with 15.5. And while the Niners reunited with their leading sack artist from 2020, defensive end Kerry Hyder, the desire to land another speed rusher off the edge should be high atop San Francisco’s wish list.
Especially with fellow EDGE Dee Ford likely not playing another snap with the 49ers ever again.
It’s a good thing this year’s NFL Draft has plenty of outside pass-rushing options, and there will be quality pass-rushers available to the 49ers as early as Round 2, even some mixed in in the later rounds as well.
Expect the Niners to take advantage of this.
49ers hole No. 1: Offensive guard
One could make an argument the entirety of San Francisco’s offensive line interior could stand for some reinforcements, and the 49ers may need to seek out a starting-caliber right tackle to fill in for a still-injured Mike McGlinchey early in 2022 with the prospects of potentially replacing him the following year when McGlinchey’s contract expires.
However, if McGlinchey is healthy, a tackle isn’t as pressing a need. And right now, signs are pointing to veteran Pro Bowl center Alex Mack returning and not retiring.
But the two guard spots create some notable question marks.
In the wake of Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson leaving via free agency, the Niners may be looking to slot in their second-round pick from 2021, Aaron Banks, into that void. However, Banks largely disappointed in his prospects to take over right guard last year, found himself frequently inactive for the first half of the season and ended up seeing only five regular-season snaps during the year.
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Maybe Banks turns a page in 2022, but that’s still very much a “maybe” question.
Additionally, right guard Daniel Brunskill falls into that Emmanuel Moseley-like category: a player good enough to start but seemingly always prompting a desire to upgrade.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see San Francisco use its first pick on an interior lineman with the idea of playing him at one of those two guard spots right out of the gate.