The 49ers look to find their next top-notch rookie class via the 2022 NFL Draft, and Niner Noise tracks each pick and analyses it right here.
Months of speculation, too many mock drafts, analyzing and over-analyzing prospects and guessing what the San Francisco 49ers are going to do has led to this: the 2022 NFL Draft and what exactly general manager John Lynch and Co.’s actions will be by the time it concludes on Saturday.
While any draft season is always exciting, it’s potentially sad for this year’s cast of Niners rookies that their respective selections are likely to be overshadowed by all the news of All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel not wanting to play in San Francisco anymore in the wake of his trade request.
No first-round trade materialized, though, all but signaling Samuel isn’t going anywhere.
Read More: How 49ers fans can watch the 2022 NFL Draft live
Regardless, the chances for collegiate prospects to go pro is still an amazing process, and one can only hope the 49ers wind up with even more draft-day gems.
49ers initial list of 2022 NFL Draft picks
The Niners entered the 2022 NFL Draft with nine selections, minus the Round 1 pick they traded off to acquire quarterback Trey Lance in last year’s draft. Barring any notable trades, they won’t be selecting until No. 61 overall at the very tail end of Round 2.
- Round 1: None
- Round 2: No. 61 overall
- Round 3: No. 93 overall
- Round 3: No. 105 overall (compensatory)
- Round 4: No. 134 overall
- Round 5: No. 172 overall
- Round 6: No. 187 overall (from Broncos)
- Round 6: No. 220 overall (compensatory)
- Round 6: No. 221 overall (compensatory)
- Round 7: No. 262 overall (compensatory)
Lynch has made it a habit to trade around the draft a lot, so don’t automatically expect each one of these picks to directly correlate to a San Francisco selection.
What’s the best way to keep track of that? Staying right here, of course, as we dish out live updates both on this 49ers draft-day tracker with grades, running from April 28 through 30, and check out ninernoise.com for even further analysis on every pick.
Note: Please refresh your browser not long after every San Francisco selection for updates.
Round 2, Pick No. 61 Overall: 49ers select EDGE Drake Jackson, USC
For the sixth time in their last eight NFL Draft classes, San Francisco elected to grab a defensive lineman.
This time, it’s USC EDGE Drake Jackson winding up as the 49ers’ premier selection in the draft.
Jackson has played at different weights and in different roles for the Trojans, dealing with some inconsistencies in that regard. As a true 4-3 defensive end, though, the expectation would likely be for the 6-foot-3, 254-pound lineman will add a bit more weight to his frame in order to be more than just a pure speed rusher.
However, Jackson does have sub-5.0 40-yard speed, and that’ll translate well towards him being a quality linemate alongside fellow EDGE Nick Bosa, as the Niners continue their emphasis on being stronger up front than within the secondary.
One could argue San Francisco needed to get more help on its offensive line or at safety, though, so that might be the biggest reason why this selection won’t receive a top-end grade.
Grade: B-
Round 3, Pick No. 93 Overall: 49ers select RB Tyrion Davis-Price, LSU
Postponing needs elsewhere, one figured John Lynch would address those two other pressing needs mentioned, the offensive line and safety.
Not at No. 93, though.
Instead, the 49ers reinforced their running back room with LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price with their first of two third-round picks, hoping to capitalize on the 6-foot-1, 232-pound tailback who rushed for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns for the Tigers last year, averaging 4.8 yards per carry in the process.
On one hand, a run-first Niners offense has gone through a lot of injuries at the position, including the presumed starter for 2022, Elijah Mitchell, who missed six games last season. However, including Mitchell, San Francisco’s running back room is already crowded enough with Trey Sermon, Jeff Wilson Jr. and JaMycal Hasty all vying for carries.
It’s possible the 49ers are already giving up on their third-round rusher from a year ago, Sermon. But given some of the other Niners needs, this feels like a slight reach, at least positionally.
Grade: D+
Round 3, Pick No. 105 Overall: 49ers select WR Danny Gray, SMU
It might have been understandable for San Francisco fans to question the pick of Tyrion Davis-Price, but one could argue the 49ers made up for it by grabbing SMU wide receiver Danny Gray to close out day two of the NFL Draft.
Gray, 6-foot-0 and 186 pounds, is an absolute burner, having run a 4.33 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this spring.
He was productive enough for the Mustangs last year, too, putting up 803 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and averaging 16.4 yards per carry in 2021.
| Receiving | Rushing | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| 2020 | SMU | American | JR | WR | 8 | 33 | 448 | 13.6 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 2 | 36 | 478 | 13.3 | 6 |
| 2021 | SMU | American | SR | WR | 10 | 49 | 803 | 16.4 | 9 | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 0 | 52 | 843 | 16.2 | 9 |
| Career | SMU | 82 | 1251 | 15.3 | 13 | 6 | 70 | 11.7 | 2 | 88 | 1321 | 15.0 | 15 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference
Generated 4/29/2022.
The 49ers still have Deebo Samuel, while fellow wideouts Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings sit atop the depth chart. But they could still use a downfield threat with pure speed, even though the bulk of targets will still likely go Samuel and Aiyuk’s way.
However, Gray’s deep-threat role will still be useful, even though he probably won’t see too many balls thrown in his direction.
And those other remaining needs remain, too.
The Niners will look to six more picks on day three to finish up their remaining needs.
Grade: B-
Round 4, Pick No. 134 Overall: 49ers select OL Spencer Burford, UTSA
San Francisco finally addressed its needs for the offensive line on day three of the draft, using its first pick on the day to grab UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford at No. 134 overall.
Burford, 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds, is a notably experienced lineman who primarily played left tackle but has experience all across the O-line during his time with the Roadrunners.
What 49ers fans will like about Burford is the work he puts in as a zone-style run blocker. His movement skills are good enough to get to the second level, and he can play with a notably physical demeanor when doing so.
Pass protection is a little on the weak side, though.
The Niners figure to have Burford compete with other depth linemen like Justin Skule, Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore to serve either as a swing tackle or an immediate reserve for the interior of the O-line where they have some notable question marks this upcoming season.
Good scheme fit and pretty good value for Burford at this spot in the draft.
Grade: B+
Round 5, Pick No. 172 Overall: 49ers select CB Samuel Womack, Toledo
Despite adding veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward in free agency, the Niners would still need to reinforce the secondary with some additional bodies to compete with returnees such as Deommodore Lenoir and Dontae Johnson, two players who are vying for a roster spot in 2022.
To do so, San Francisco grabbed Toledo cornerback Samuel Womack late in Round 5.
Womack, 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, had a five-year collegiate tenure with three of those years serving as a starter. Last year, he registered 33 total tackles, 15 passes broken up and showed a little ballhawking capability with two interceptions.
Considering his size, Womack figures to compete with fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley to take over the starting nickel cornerback role in the wake of veteran K’Waun Williams departing to the Denver Broncos in free agency during the offseason.
Like Williams, Womack won’t be hindered by his smallish size and isn’t afraid to mix it up with bigger receiving targets, boasting good closing speed in the process.
Grade: A-
Round 6, Pick No. 187 Overall: 49ers select OL Nick Zakelj, Fordham
Spencer Burford might be an option to help reinforce the interior of the 49ers offensive line entering 2022, but the team still has a notable hole at tackle, namely the primary backup to support left tackle Trent Williams and right tackle Mike McGlinchey.
Particularly with McGlinchey working his way back from a torn quad suffered last season and in the wake of last year’s backup, Tom Compton, departing in free agency for the Denver Broncos.
Another small-school pickup, Fordham University’s Nick Zakelj has an ideal body at 6-foot-6 and 316 pounds to lock down a tackle spot on the depth chart.
As far as athleticism goes, Zakelj has enough of it to be a good outside-zone blocker, and he can hold his own in both run support and pass protection. He might be too clunky to project as anything more than a high-end backup over the course of his career, though.
Still, with McGlinchey entering a contract year, the Niners can nevertheless hope Zakelj exceeds his initial draft projection and turns into a modest starter sooner than later.
Grade: C+
Round 6, Pick No. 220 Overall: 49ers select DT Kalia Davis, UCF
San Francisco probably had the depth to make up for this offseason’s free-agent loss of nose tackle D.J. Jones, who left after five productive years with the 49ers to sign a lucrative deal with the Denver Broncos.
Especially with reserve options like defensive tackles Maurice Hurst and Kevin Givens already on the roster.
However, in the effort to add more competition, the Niners elected to use their first back-to-back pick to close out Round 6 on UCF defensive tackle Kalia Davis at No. 220 overall.
Davis, 6-foot-1 and 310 pounds, has missed a good deal of time with injuries the last two years, appearing in just five games during that span. But the converted former linebacker did finish his collegiate tenure with 61 total tackles, 15 of which were for a loss, four sacks and a forced fumble. When healthy, he can be an athletic force within the inside of a defensive line.
This is nothing more than a developmental pick, though, and Davis will have a long way to go to make the 53-man roster his rookie season just because of the D-line depth alone.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick No. 221 Overall: 49ers select CB Tariq Castro Fields, Penn State
Having already grabbed a cornerback earlier in the draft in Samuel Womack, one could have been forgiven thinking San Francisco was finished addressing its needs in the secondary.
Except the 49ers shouldn’t have stopped.
There were still depth concerns on the boundary, as Womack projects to be a nickel corner, and the strong safety spot remains a question mark, too, with Jaquiski Tartt unsigned.
It’s possible the Niners’ third and final Round 6 selection, Penn State defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields, ends up competing for a starting safety job right out of the gate to replace Tartt. But the initial prognosis is for him to be in consideration for one of the reserve boundary spots behind Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley.
Castro-Fields, 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, has good game speed and recognizes route patterns fairly well.
Considering Castro-Fields was projected on a number of big boards as a late day-two pick, San Francisco managed to capitalize on some excellent value this late in the draft.
Grade: A
Round 7, Pick No. 262 Overall: 49ers select QB Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Ah, yes. “Mr. Irrelevant.” The final pick of the NFL Draft. And the 49ers had the honor and luxury of making this selection in 2022.
For all intents and purposes, doing so is essentially just having the first call on the class of undrafted free agents, albeit with the luxury of initially signing said rookie to an initial undrafted free agent.
The Niners have kept three quarterbacks on their 90-man offseason rosters before, sometimes four, as was the case in 2021 when Nate Sudfeld and Josh Rosen competed behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo for the QB3 role.
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This year, it’ll be Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy competing with Sudfeld for the rights to support Lance.
Purdy, selected with this year’s final pick, completed 71.7 percent of his passes for the Cyclones last season, tossing 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions while also rushing for 238 yards and a touchdown, too.
However, a practice-squad designation will likely be Purdy’s ceiling with San Francisco.
Nothing wrong with the pick, but there isn’t much exciting about it either.
Grade: C