49ers NFL Draft 2022: 5 must-have prospects on Day 2

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University of Kentucky defensive lineman Joshua Paschal (4) Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images /

Joshua Paschal. 2. player. EDGE. Kentucky. 833. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis

49ers must-have NFL Draft prospect No. 2: EDGE Joshua Paschal, Kentucky

There are so many good-quality edge rushers in this year’s NFL Draft, it’s impossible to identify just one the 49ers should hone in on to pair with Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa. And the good news is there should be plenty available by the time the Niners are selecting at the back end of Round 2.

With what promises to be a lucrative extension coming Bosa’s way, and with the bulk of San Francisco’s complementary pass-rushers being just that, complementary, the 49ers should look to find another top-end EDGE to help take the load off Bosa in 2022.

Again, there are many. But Kentucky’s Joshua Paschal could easily be a Niners top target at No. 61 overall.

Paschal, 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds, had only five sacks and 15 tackles for a loss last season. But don’t let that fool you. He can easily overpower weaker blockers and can line up in a variety of spots, including the potential of finding even more success as an interior pass-rusher in sub packages.

Even if it’s in a rotational role, Paschal has the ability to provide that extra thump to take advantage of the one-on-one matchups he’d likely see with Bosa commanding far more attention on the opposite end.