49ers focus on trenches, depth in post-NFL Combine mock draft

Round 5, Pick No. 166 overall: 49ers select cornerback Cory Trice, Purdue

It’s weird to think the Niners have passed on edge rushers and tight ends up to this point, but their next pick in Round 5 is a classic case of going with the best player available and not focusing so much on need.

Purdue cornerback Cory Trice is a fascinating prospect, and it isn’t as if San Francisco should pass on cornerbacks anyway. Especially with No. 2 corner Emmanuel Moseley coming off a torn ACL suffered last season and hitting the free-agent market anyway.

Trice, 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, ran a solid 4.47 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, and his 17 bench reps flashed some solid strength, too.

2022 marked his first year as a starter, and he was tested a lot during that span. Yet Trice managed to pick off two passes and broke up another eight.

For a team like the 49ers, operating in a zone-style defense, someone like Trice would be a quality fit on day three.