The 49ers can hope a lot of things play out to their benefit in the 2023 NFL Draft long before their number is first called at the end of Round 3.
Just because the San Francisco 49ers aren’t scheduled to make a selection in the 2023 NFL Draft until the back end of Round 3, specifically at No. 99 overall, doesn’t mean they are going to sit idly by without much interest and watch the first two-plus rounds play out.
General manager John Lynch has 11 picks at his disposal in this year’s draft, yet there aren’t that many holes on the Niners roster.
With a history of trading around the draft, plus other rumors circulating that San Francisco could move a prized asset like quarterback Trey Lance, it’s very possible the final outcome of the 49ers’ 2023 draft class looks vastly different than what was initially anticipated.
At the same time, Lynch and Co. can hope that things play out favorably ahead of whatever their first selection will be, and they can also hope some dream scenarios pan out after their trio of picks at the end of Round 3, too.
Here are four dream scenarios that would be ideal for the Niners come draft time.
49ers dream NFL Draft scenario No. 1: Julius Brents has a freefall from Round 2
San Francisco doesn’t have too many needs in this year’s draft, but the desire to land a starting-caliber cornerback opposite Charvarius Ward is certainly there after losing Emmanuel Moseley to free agency.
Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, Kansas State’s Julius Brents would have probably been a safe third-round selection, perhaps not falling to the 49ers at the end of the round but someone who’d easily be acquired via a trade-up.
Now, Brents is squarely a Round 2 projection, according to Pro Football Focus, which would either require the Niners trading up to get or some sort of massive and unexplained fall on draft day.
Perhaps San Francisco still has to trade up, if Brents is indeed the target, but an ideal dream scenario would be for him to somehow fall into a very comfortable range (let’s say, the middle of Round 3) or all the way to No. 99 overall.
Hey, it’s a dream scenario, right?
49ers dream NFL Draft scenario No. 2: Niners land a top tackle in Darnell Wright
Grabbing a cornerback would be nice, but the 49ers got by without Emmanuel Mosely for two-thirds of last season after he tore his ACL in Week 5. Simply put, it’s not a massive need.
Right tackle, however, is a glaring need after Mike McGlinchey left via free agency for the Denver Broncos.
Over at Pro Football Network, one mock proposed the Niners trade off their three third-round selections, plus a first-round pick in 2024, to grab the Cincinnati Bengals’ Round 1 selection in this year’s draft at No. 28 overall. Armed with that pick, San Francisco takes Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who is in the conversation for best tackle in this year’s class.
Sounds nice. But the dream scenario would be Wright falling into the second round and well beyond the point where the 49ers would have to send off a first-rounder in 2024 whatsoever.
It’s not likely, as the Kansas City Chiefs, drafting at No. 31 overall, would probably grab Wright if he’s available.
But, perhaps KC shocks everyone and grabs someone else instead.
49ers dream NFL Draft scenario No. 3: Isaiah Foskey somehow slips into Round 3
If not the offensive line, the Niners clearly need help on the defensive line and someone to pair with All-Pro EDGE Nick Bosa, who shouldered too much of a load last year with his NFL-leading 19.5 sacks but playing alongside no one who had more than five sacks.
Sure, San Francisco can hope that second-year pro Drake Jackson takes a massive leap after faltering down the strech last season, and it can hope the careers of recently signed flame-outs like Austin Bryant or Clelin Ferrell are resurrected in the red and gold.
Or, the 49ers can pray and hope that Notre Dame pass-rusher Isaiah Foskey somehow winds up slipping and slipping well beyond Round 2 and into the third round.
Currently, there’s chatt erbout the 6-foot-5 and 264-pound EDGE sneaking into Round 1, but a late second-round selection seems more likely despite having back-to-back seasons with 10-plus sacks.
The Niners can hope that other teams either want a better fit for their pass-rushing needs or opt to pass on Foskey to grab other players, allowing him to fall late into the third round.
49ers dream NFL Draft scenario No. 4: Jalen Carter stays out of the NFC West
Yes, he has some serious red flags for off-the-field actions. But Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter can easily be a wrecking ball of a player if he stays out of such issues once he goes pro.
And despite the concerns, he’s very much in the running for a top-five pick.
San Francisco isn’t going to grab Carter (or any top-10 prospect, for that matter). So, the next best thing would be to ensure Carter doesn’t wind up playing within the NFC West for one of the 49ers’ bitter rivals.
In case you were wondering, here are the NFC West’s other teams’ top selections in this year’s draft:
- Arizona Cardinals: No. 3 overall
- Seattle Seahawks: No. 5 overall (from Broncos)
- Los Angeles Rams: No. 36 overall
Want your voice heard? Join the Niner Noise team!
Carter probably isn’t going to tank that bad to the point where LA grabs him, although we’ve seen top-10 talent fall massively in the draft (hello, linebacker Reuben Foster in 2017).
But, Carter winding up going to a restructuring defense like those of the Cardinals or Hawks would make sense.
And potentially haunt the Niners for years, too.
The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 27.