49ers last-guess 7-round mock before 2022 NFL Draft kicks off

The 2022 NFL Draft is this week, and Niner Noise dishes out a final 49ers seven-round mock with some trades and notable speculation.

For two years in a row now, the San Francisco 49ers have been at the center of all kinds of offseason speculation leading up to the NFL Draft.

In 2021, the storyline was which quarterback the Niners would take after trading up to No. 3 overall. A year after San Francisco made the choice to go with Trey Lance in that spot, now the storyline is whether or not All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel will be used as first-round trade bait in the wake of his recent trade request.

Niner Noise has already speculated what a mock draft could look like if Samuel were to be moved, and that’s certainly a possibility.

However, let’s go ahead and assume the 49ers want to hold onto Samuel at any possible cost that’s reasonable, meaning it’ll be awfully difficult for general manager John Lynch and Co. to get into Round 1 after trading this year’s first-round pick away to select Lance a year ago.

Still, let’s not discount Lynch trading up in the draft, however.

Currently, the Niners are poised to select at No. 61 overall towards the very end of the second round. However, with the need to infuse more quality than quality amid a Super Bowl-contending context, this final last-guess Niner Noise mock ahead of Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft has Lynch being aggressive, moving up to nab better talent in a deal with the Baltimore Ravens, as broken down in our Pro Football Focus mock-draft simulator.

At No. 45 overall, San Francisco is now on the clock.