3 free agents 49ers absolutely need after 2022 NFL Draft moves

With the 2022 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the 49ers can still afford to go after these three players on the NFL free agency market.

The San Francisco 49ers brought aboard nine players via the 2022 NFL Draft and subsequently signed a number of undrafted free agents to get their offseason roster close to the max of 90 players.

That’s yesterday’s news, though. What’ll happen next is the inevitable tweaking and shifting of the roster as the team gets closer to offseason workouts and training camp later this spring and summer.

The days after the draft mark what’s usually the next big wave of NFL free agency signings, players who slipped through the opening of the league new year back in March, didn’t land with a team when the second wave hit a few weeks later, then had to wait until after the draft for front offices to begin starting agents again.

There’s a reason for all this. For starters, teams want to see how the results of the draft pan out. Additionally, now marks the time when free-agent signings won’t count against the compensatory-pick formula.

That’s important to note, as the Niners could potentially land a comp pick or two next year for net losses of qualifying free agents, such as nose tackle D.J. Jones and left guard Laken Tomlinson.

Already, San Francisco welcomed back a free agent to the folds, cornerback Jason Verrett, who returns on a one-year deal to bolster the cornerback room.

Sure, cap space is at a premium for general manager John Lynch and Co. But if the 49ers are able to negotiate some team-friendly deals, or make other roster tweaks elsewhere, they should free up the cash to grab these still-available free agents right away.