San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan fully admitted his team needed to get faster when he spoke to reporters during his end-of-season press conference last January.
That points to roster moves, especially ones via the upcoming NFL Draft this April where speedy players can help make the Niners much more dynamic and lethal on both sides of the ball.
With readily apparent needs at both wide receiver and the pass-rush departmet, it's not hyperbole to say this year's draft is among the most vital in the Shanahan-general manager John Lynch era, especially if San Francisco wants to keep pace with other NFC West contenders like the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks.
Adding speed will help.
Shanahan and Lynch should get a pretty good idea about which prospects are speedy when the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine plays out over the next week-plus, and Niner Noise's latest mock draft focuses on giving the 49ers some faster options.
With Pro Football Focus' mock-draft tool as our guide, let's mock out four rounds to solve the Niners' need for speed.
Speed-focused 4-round mock draft for 49ers ahead of NFL Combine
Typically, Niner Noise mocks have kicked off with wide receivers as of late, but with the preferred Round 1 names already off the board, the shift focuses on revamping the pass rush.
And there are few pass-rushers expected to be faster than Clemson's T.J. Parker.
Anticipated to run a 40-yard time between 4.65 and 4.75 seconds, the 6-foot-3 and 263-pound edge defender has all the intangible traits that could help turn him into a quality outside force opposite Nick Bosa and in parallel with Mykel Williams, although it's safe to say Parker needs a lot of work in his pass-rush arsenal.
The power and speed are both there, though. So, with some patience and coaching, Parker could be a vital piece in moving the Niners away from the league bottom in sack production.
Waiting on a wide receiver beyond Round 2 might be risky, but the chance to grab a draft faller in Oregon offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon is too good to pass up.
Pregnon, projected to run a 40-yard time of 5.2 seconds (within the 72nd percentile), is a plug-and-play left guard who can dominate in the run game and fits perfectly into Shanahan's outside-zone run scheme. Considering how San Francisco struggled to get its run game into much of a rhythm last season, it certainly wouldn't hurt to begin up front and focus on the trenches with this pick.
Plus, the 49ers have a clear hole at left guard, too, with Spencer Burford hitting free agency and a need to find someone to play alongside future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams.
The 6-foot-5, 318-pound Pregnon solves that with physicality and technique.
It's a good thing this year's wideout class is deep, and the Niners wouldn't mind Clemson's Antonio Williams as a consolation prize if they miss out on some of the draft's bigger-name receivers like USC's Makai Lemon, Washington's Denzel Boston or Texas A&M's K.C. Concepcion.
Slightly undersized at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Williams nevertheless wins with exceptional route-running technique, strong hands and versatility to line up wherever needed. And it wouldn't be a shock if he teased a sub-4.40 time at the combine either.
True, there are some injury concerns here, and San Francisco understandably wants to avoid those where possible.
But, banking on Williams' upside and overall fit, it'd be hard to turn down a chance to grab him and deploy his skills right away.
He might not be the fastest cornerback in the class, but Texas' Malik Muhammad is far from the slowest and is well within the expectation of running a 40-yard time below 4.5 seconds -- preferred for a corner.
At 6-foot and 183 pounds, Muhammad fits well in zone-coverage schemes, can play several spots within the secondary and has the ability to be a day-one contributor on special teams.
With some uncertainty around how the 49ers now view two-year cornerback Renardo Green, grabbing a potential replacement/upgrade is worthwhile.
It's not an immediate need, per se, but the Niners have to be thinking about a long-term replacement for aging center Jake Brendel. Plus, Shanahan typically likes experience in the very center of his offensive line anyway.
Jager Burton should be quick enough, and he also wins with solid punch in run support with the ability to bounce outside to guard, if needed.
Pass protection needs some work, but Burton isn't being grabbed her as a plug-and-play prospect.
With Brandon Aiyuk on his way out, and potentially Jauan Jennings right behind him in free agency, San Francisco can't be content grabbing just one receiver in this year's class, and it should be expected that a double-down effort is made here.
Texas Tech's Reggie Virgil is a fascinating prospect; a 6-foot-3 and 190-pound frame boasting a wide catch radius and with a likely 4.40 40-yard time working in his favor.
A true deep threat with good route-running skills, Virgil might need to add some bulk to his slender frame, which might take away some of his speed as a result.
But, if the 49ers want a faster and leaner version of Jennings, Virgil might be the guy to target.