49ers NFL Draft 2022: 7-round mock using only Big Ten players

Round 7, Pick No. 262 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select CB Vincent Gray, Michigan

Yes, three defensive backs taken by the 49ers in this all-Big Ten mock draft.

That’s OK, though. Given the trend of many a defensive back struggling to transition to life at the NFL level, it’s never a bad idea to “shotgun” the problem and throw as many resources at this part of the field as possible.

Plus, is there actually a serious amount of hope for “Mr. Irrelevant,” the final pick of the draft any given year?

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That’s what Michigan cornerback Vincent Gray would be, and yet there are traits worth developing as a true boundary corner.

At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Gray has the ideal body size and could likely end up serving as a primary backup to Charvarius Ward or fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley on the outside. With two years as a starter, Gray will probably have to translate into a zone-style defensive back, as his play speed isn’t overly great.

But in dime formations, that’s not necessarily a must-have skill with extra bodies all over the secondary.