49ers news: CBS Sports’ grade of NFL Draft class, too-early 2024 mock

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco wasn’t a fan of the 49ers’ efforts in the 2023 NFL Draft. But that’s why we have mock drafts for 2024 to make up for it, right?

The evaluation and over-analysis of the 2023 NFL Draft are already coming in like crazy and in spades despite the fact none of the prospects selected by the San Francisco 49ers and the other 31 teams across the league have played a snap of pro-level football.

But what else would you expect?

Overthinking teams’ moves and non-moves in the draft is what the immediate aftermath is all about. For the Niners, the biggest focal point is likely going to be the third-round addition of former Michigan kicker Jake Moody, which understandably caused some eyebrows to raise up when his name was called.

Ironically, given the bulk of San Francisco’s draft class seems to be aimed at providing an impact in 2024 and not right away, Moody could actually be the one name who contributes the most out of this crop right away.

That said, one notable NFL Draft expert over at CBS Sports wasn’t too fond of this selection and what the 49ers did as a whole during the three-day event.

Plus, we’ve got a way-too-early mock draft for 2024 to look at, too.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco ‘didn’t love’ 49ers NFL Draft

Again, grading any team’s NFL Draft class this early is foolish, but it’s part of this industry. And it’s all opinion-based anyway.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco went through and graded each team’s NFL Draft haul from over the weekend. He admittedly didn’t hand out any D-grades or F-grades, but he did note there were a few C-minus grades out there to bottom out the group.

The Niners were one of those teams receiving such a grade, and it’s no surprise he highlighted Moody as the biggest stain on the efforts of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan:

"Taking kicker Jake Moody in the third round is way too high. I hate that. Kickers come and go, so why not just bring two to camp and let them compete? Haven’t teams learned yet from drafting kickers?"

Prisco probably isn’t alone in that rationale. While Moody might have been this year’s top kicker, he’s still a specialist.

Even though San Francisco didn’t have too many roster needs, using a third-round pick on a kicker doesn’t seem awfully wasteful.

CBS Sports dishes out its first mock draft for 2024, 49ers make a surprising selection

For those who think you’ll be getting away from mock drafts for a while, think again.

It’s always time for a mock draft.

Also, for the first time since 2021, the 49ers will be picking in the first round after not doing so the last two years. Interestingly enough, CBS Sports’ first mock draft of the year has Lynch and Shanahan picking at No. 31 overall.

Read More: Niners’ moves in 2023 draft suggest Super Bowl window is closing

That would either mean they lost the Super Bowl (again) or somehow traded into that spot. But that’s another discussion for another day, even though the 32nd-drafting team is again the Kansas City Chiefs (enough of this already).

At any rate, the Niners grab Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in that 31st spot.

This means two of two things have happened over the course of 2023:

1. Trey Lance is revealed not to be the guy for San Francisco
2. Brock Purdy’s 2022 ascent was fool’s gold

Without getting into the scouting report for Penix, it’s nevertheless provocative to think CBS Sports is already viewing the 49ers as a team in need of a quarterback despite having the controversy already entering 2023.

Purdy, Lance and even Sam Darnold could help make that mock projection change between now and the 2024 NFL Draft, though.