The San Francisco 49ers were expected to be picking closer to No. 32 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft than No. 10 overall, but a brutal run of injuries and regression from some of their top players made it difficult for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch to stitch together a viable defense of their NFC championship.
The Niners will have the opportunity to pick up some instant starters in the draft this year, as the team's poor play in the trenches on both sides of the ball may have been the biggest issue this franchise had last year. The secondary was far from a world-beater as well.
The 49ers would do well to take a look at the roadmap laid out in this mock draft, as landing this combination of four players may end up being nothing short of a grand slam for Lynch and Shanahan in a year where they really need to crush this.
San Francisco 49ers 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 11: Kelvin Banks Jr, OT, Texas
The 49ers need both immediate improvements to their offensive line and a long-term successor to Trent Williams at left tackle. After a sterling final season at Texas, Banks has established himself as a tremendous tackle who should be a virtual lock to end up in the first 15 selections.
Banks could be an immediate starter for San Francisco, having the athletic ability to make a Penei Sewell-like move over to right tackle and the potential to take over for Williams. With a great lower base that makes him a pass protection wizard, Banks should be high on San Francisco's board.
Round 2, Pick 43: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Morrison has taken a bit of a slide after spending most of the pre-draft process as a first-round pick. While the injury history will get some teams nervous, San Francisco will likely jump at the chance to add a player with his excellent ball skills to a secondary in need of reinforcements.
Morrison may not be the best open-field tackler in the world thanks to a very slight frame, but his tremendous football brain and ball skills will help make him a perfect zone cover cornerback. With Charvarius Ward soon to be on the open market, Morrison could slide right in to replace her.
Round 3, Pick 75: TJ Sanders, DT, South Carolina
San Francisco's D-line skill is so poor that they need to spend multiple picks in a very deep class in that area to reinforce that group. Sanders may not be a prototypical run-stuffer, but he is the type of lean, aggressive player Shanahan and Lynch have typically placed a premium on.
Sanders may have been a first-round pick if he weighed about 20 pounds more. The lack of mass is an issue, but he has heavy hands, great quickness off the snap, and one of the more creative pass-rush toolboxes in the country.
Round 3, Pick 99: Lathan Ransom, SAF, Ohio State
While Malik Mustapha looks like a player who could evolve into a quality long-term piece for San Francisco, the possible loss of Talanoa Hufanga may not be what a 49ers roster that was already thin in the secondary. Ransom can be a quality option to help provide depth and improve the team's open-field tackling.
Ransom plays more like a smaller linebacker at times due to his lack of great movement skills, but he can hit like a truck and play with reckless abandon. The same defense that got the most out of Hufanga and turned Mustapha into a contributor should have a fun time with Ransom.