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

Round 2, Pick No. 45 Overall (from Ravens): 49ers select DB Jalen Pitre, Baylor

As noted on the previous slide, the 49ers should view the overall quality of players more than they should a shotgun approach of trying to land as many players as possible.

Getting up into the middle portions of Round 2 would be a smart move, and the Ravens wind up being a kind trade partner by sending off the No. 45 overall pick to grab the Niners’ pick in the second round, along with their compensatory Round 3 selection and a Round 6 pick, plus a 2023 pick swap on day three:

With that selection, San Francisco continues its efforts to reinforce the secondary by adding Baylor defensive back Jalen Pitre.

Pitre, 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds, has been a Niner Noise draft favorite for a while now. But one of the things that has changed in recent months is him steadily rising up big boards, potentially now flirting with being a first-round pick.

The Bears had Pitre play all over the secondary, working as a nickel cornerback and at both safety spots, and the 49ers have needs at both positions in the wake of losing defensive backs K’Waun Williams and Jaquiski Tartt in free agency.

In drafting Pitre, the Niners ensure they get a versatile and hard-hitting playmaker who can shore up the still-evident weaknesses within the defensive backfield, especially with both Williams and Tartt now gone.