5 players 49ers should be watching in the 2023 Senior Bowl

The 49ers aren’t picking until Day 3 of the NFL Draft, but these five prospects could still be on the radar at the 2023 Senior Bowl.

It’s going to be a bit odd for the San Francisco 49ers heading into NFL Draft season in 2023.

Not only does general manager John Lynch have to navigate the draft process without a first-round pick, as that was traded away in 2021 as part of the package used to grab quarterback Trey Lance, but the Niners also used their second-round pick to acquire former Carolina Panthers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey prior to last year’s trade deadline.

That said, San Francisco still has a flurry of mid- and late-round picks at its disposal, potentially as many as 11, provided the compensatory selections come in as predicted.

Either way, Lynch and the 49ers’ scouting department will be paying close attention to those participating at the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, as well as the practices leading up to Saturday’s game.

In particular, these five prospects should be catching the Niners’ attention.

49ers prospect No. 5: EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State

Just because San Francisco doesn’t have a first- or second-round pick doesn’t mean Lynch and Co. won’t look at prospects projected to go in either round.

Especially if they have familiarity with quarterback Brock Purdy, right?

One such player is Iowa State EDGE Will McDonald IV, who put together a solid week of practice and is showing off quite an array of pass-rushing moves:

McDonald certainly won’t fall to the 49ers at the end of Round 3, and performances like the one he had during Senior Bowl week could propel him into the first round, way beyond what the Niners can target via a trade-up.

However, San Francisco can still eye a player like McDonald in case he falls, possibly looking to trade up more modestly into the end of Round 2, should he make it that far.