49ers: An early look at the 5 biggest needs in the 2023 NFL draft

5 biggest draft needs the 49ers need to remain in contention in the future

The San Francisco 49ers have one of the most dynamic offenses in the National Football League. With wide receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers have two of the most explosive players in the game today, respectively.

On the other side of the ball, week after week, the number one defense has sent opposing offenses into fits with their dominant run defense and their imposing pass rush.

The balance this team has isn’t something that happens overnight. Furthermore, the window of opportunity to win it all with that team intact is very small.

Having the best players in place at specific positions is good for two reasons. The first is obvious, winning a championship is what it’s all about. A team with perfect chemistry will look to be in mid-season form all year long.

The second reason is just as obvious but is extremely hard. Drafting successors that can learn from those dominant starters is how you bridge the gap from championship team to championship team.

Due to trades, both offseason and midseason, the 49ers have minimal draft capital. Let’s take a look at how they can do a lot with a little. Here are the 5 biggest needs heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

5 Biggest draft needs No. 5: Center

Let’s face it, offensive line selections are not considered the sexy pick, but without a solid offensive front, good luck moving the ball.

The 49ers had plenty of new faces along the interior front for 2022 and to many peoples surprise they operated efficiently. Second-year guard Aaron Banks surprised a lot of people sliding into his new role and operating the way that he did.

Center, on the other hand, has been a bit shaky. Jake Brendel had quite a few “growing pains,” to say the least, in terms of anchoring the line. And why wouldn’t he? Succeeding future Hall of Famer Alex Mack is certainly no easy task.

He may work out the kinks prior to the start of next season and adding a center for depth would be the perfect scenario. But providing he doesn’t, the 49ers need a staple at the position for years to come. Especially with two young quarterbacks on the roster.

As it stands, the 49ers don’t make a selection until the third round. Lucky for them, offensive line is usually a deep class that carries talent throughout the entire draft.

Adding a center, that fits their scheme, with an up-and-coming quarterback would be optimal for the chemistry of this team moving forward.

5 biggest draft needs No. 4: Safety

Safety Talanoa Hufanga is having himself a season. If the ability he showed this year is a constant throughout his career, he’ll be a perennial All-Pro for many years to come. To step in the way he did and perform lights out is something special, and his breakout couldn’t have come at a better time.

Veteran Jimmie Ward has been a mainstay at his position for quite some time. The best part about his presence is the consistency he brings to the field every time he suits up. However, Ward is 31 years old and has no viable heir to the throne.

Prior to Hufanga’s emergence, the 49ers haven’t had a pairing like this in quite a long time. In fact, these two could be argued as the best duo since the mid-1990’s pairing of Tim McDonald and Merton Hanks. That team would go on to win Super Bowl 29 in dominating fashion.

Waiting in the wings is solid depth, but no one stands out as a clear-cut choice to take over when Ward calls it quits. Tashaun Gipson has provided exceptional play, but at 32 years of age the clock is ticking for him as well.

It would be a shame if the front office failed to bridge the gap by having a ready starter in the wings for whenever they needed one.

Hopefully for the faithful, the front office feels the same way.

5 biggest draft needs No. 3: Defensive Tackle

Prior to selecting quarterback Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers chose to invest their first-round pick on the defensive front a total of five times in six years. So why in the world would they invest any pick on the front four moving forward?

Quite simply, only two of those five selections are healthy and still on the roster. Edge specialist Nick Bosa continues to thrive and baffle opposing offenses, and defensive end Arik Armstead has found a home on the interior line and is an absolute monster against the run.

Javon Kinlaw looked to be a great prospect, but injuries have slowed his progress to find stability on the everyday roster. Prior to the start of the season, he made strides in getting healthy and looked to be the real deal. Sadly, he finds himself on injured reserve for the second year straight and has only played seven games in his last two seasons.

The 49ers are currently number one in defense and have continued to slay the opposition despite injuries. But imagine what another prospect like Armstead could do alongside the real Armstead.

It’s scary to think about but it would be fun to watch.

5 biggest draft needs No. 2: Cornerback

It seems as though the 49ers need help in the secondary every year, but the simple truth is that a good cover corner is hard to find.

Charvarius Ward was a solid addition to the roster, and aside from getting roasted a few times, he’s performed beautifully. On the other side of the field, Emmanuel Moseley is the team’s golden child, but unfortunately, he went down with a season-ending ACL tear.

So who’s up next? Sam Womack and Ambry Thomas have shown promise, but are either of them capable of starting week after week? That remains to be seen. My guess is if they were, the team wouldn’t have spent big on Ward.

With no picks to spend in the earlier rounds, the 49ers need to find a diamond-in-the-rough in a bad way. The league is full of speedsters at the wide receiver position, and it would be fatal if the team was unable to provide quality coverage on the regular. While it’s true that the defense is lock-down at the moment, the purpose of drafting is to keep that pressure constant year after year.

In hindsight, cornerback may prove to be the teams biggest need.

5 biggest draft needs No. 1: Quarterback

It’s evident, right now the 49ers do not need a quarterback. But with Brock Purdy stepping in and performing like he did, when the entire position was plagued with injury, it does shake things up a bit. And if there’s one thing that’s been proven time and time again, it’s when there’s a shake up at a particular position, it’s only a matter of time before everything changes.

Currently, the 49ers have four options at quarterback. Trey Lance is the supposed starter, Brock Purdy looks like the quarterback of the future and Jimmy Garoppolo always seems to find a way to stay on the roster. Josh Johnson probably won’t figure into the future plans of the franchise, but since he’s a viable option he stays in the discussion.

There are many ways this could play out, and it’s anyone’s guess what will happen, but one thing is for sure, the 49ers won’t carry two quarterbacks that are primed for a big payout. This team has too many big stars with too many big contracts already. Which means that one of the two young quarterbacks will either get traded, or the front office will cut their losses and move on.

The starter will get the big money, and the second choice will be a viable backup that plays on a bargain contract. Also, any quarterback that they draft will likely be a practice squad candidate.

Once again, it’s anyone’s guess what’ll happen moving forward, but nonetheless a shake-up is coming.