49ers gifted top-10 cornerback prospect in Day 2 NFL mock draft

The Niners get a first-round prospect to kick off Round 2 in this day-two mock draft.
ByPeter Panacy|
Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson (2)
Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson (2) | David Berding/GettyImages

The 49ers passed on Will Johnson in Round 1, but they manage to get their hands on him in our Day 2 mock NFL Draft.

The San Francisco 49ers made an understandable decision with their top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, No. 11 overall.

Despite having a flurry of needs across the roster, the defensive line remained the No. 1 priority, and one should probably argue that defensive coordinator Robert Saleh wanted to get his way and convince general manager John Lynch to draft Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams.

So, that's what the Niners did.

In doing so, San Francisco passed on Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, a player many felt (including ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.) was the perfect fit in the Bay Area at No. 11 overall, especially in light of both the need and a relatively thin cornerback draft class.

Johnson, likely in relation to injury concerns, slipped out of Round 1 entirely, though, opening up a golden opportunity for the 49ers to pounce on day two of the draft.

Let's mock out what the Niners do here (it might involve Johnson).

49ers Day 2 mock NFL Draft (Rounds 2 and 3)

Let's kick things off with a trade, shall we?

San Francisco owns the No. 43 overall pick in the draft, the 11th in Round 2, but it's also aware of the Cleveland Browns' hyper-aggressive efforts to trade down, which were successful from No. 2 overall to No. 5 but not again from the fifth overall selection.

The Browns own two picks to kick off the second round, Nos. 33 and 36 overall, and it wouldn't be shocking if they use the first selection here on free-falling quarterback Shedeur Sanders, another surprising faller.

But that second second-round pick might be had for the taking.

In this mock, the 49ers bypass other potential cornerback-needy teams by trading their second- and fourth-round picks (Nos. 43 and 113 overall) to jump to No. 36.

The Niners are back on the clock.

Round 2, No. 36 overall (from Browns): CB Will Johnson, Michigan

When healthy, the 6-foot-2 and 194-pound Johnson has all the traits of a true shutdown cornerback, and he's a bona fide playmaker with three pick-six interceptions during his collegiate career. Had it not been for those injury concerns, Johnson would have been a surefire top-10 pick.

The Niners can gamble here on the injury risk, banking on Johnson's upside and pairing him with their other two young corners, Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green, to form an elite secondary for Saleh.

Round 3, No. 75 overall: DL Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

Just because San Francisco grabbed Williams with its first pick doesn't mean the D-line has been fully stocked. In fact, general manager John Lynch all but revealed the 49ers were planning on grabbing more linemen later with their (then) 10 remaining picks.

Tennessee defensive tackle (and NorCal native) Omarr Norman-Lott also seems like a Saleh-type pick, a short and squatty interior defender who can play a 1- or a 3-technique, serving as the kind of nose tackle the Niners haven't exactly had since another Saleh protege, now-Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones.

With interest in better defending the run, Norman-Lott would be a plug-and-play two-down player.

Round 3, No. 100 overall (compensatory): LB Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss

San Francisco's biggest offseason loss by far was linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who'll helm his own front-seven ship in Denver after joining the Broncos in free agency.

The 49ers could hope third-year pro Dee Winters takes the next leap to play alongside All-Pro Fred Warner, but it might be a better idea to tab Ole Miss' Chris Paul Jr. as Greenlaw's go-to replacement to close out Round 3.

Paul, who was already photographed with Warner in the lead-up to the draft, looks the part and also meets the modern-style hybrid-type profile for a linebacker: someone who can defend will against the run but is both versatile and fluid in coverage.

Day two of the NFL Draft begins on Friday, April 25.

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