The 49ers aim to get younger and cheaper, but their 2025 NFL Draft efforts also sent a message to some current players on the roster.
The San Francisco 49ers spent the bulk of their efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft trying to infuse talent and depth into the defense, especially over the first four rounds in which they had six of their 11 total picks.
But the overall nature of any draft class is the hope of finding talent that can eventually step in and assume more responsibility and deliver bigger impact than whatever current option is there.
In short, an upgrade.
The Niners needed a lot of that following the offseason's significant roster departures, but a number of current players are going to be looking over their shoulders at the newest class of rookies who'll join the squad for offseason workouts in the not-so-distant future.
Especially these three who'll be feeling the heat.
3 players whose jobs with 49ers are in jeopardy after NFL Draft
Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott
In fairness to veteran defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, when he was signed as a free agent by San Francisco last offseason after departing the Cleveland Browns, the intention probably wasn't to make him a full-time starter.
But, once the 49ers lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a season-ending triceps injury, Elliott was forced into a more prominent role but didn't exactly deliver the desired results.
Hargrave was let go, as was fellow defensive tackle Maliek Collins, yet the Niners' draft pickups of rookie defensive tackles Alfred Collins and C.J. West all but ensure Elliott's immediate and long-term futures are in jeopardy.
Elliott is a free agent in 2026 but could generate $1.5 million in cap savings if released, meaning he'll have to fight heartily to maintain a roster spot.
Linebacker Dee Winters
Before the draft, general manager John Lynch offered something of a lukewarm endorsement for third-year pro linebacker Dee Winters as the apparent replacement for now-Denver Broncos backer Dre Greenlaw.
However, it was hard to buy into that notion after Winters didn't exactly wow over the course of 10 starts last season. Sure, Winters wasn't the main reason why San Francisco's defense was so porous, but he didn't exactly boost the embattled side of the ball much either.
This explains why the 49ers used a third-round pick, No. 75 overall, on Oklahoma State linebacker Nick Martin, who'll likely be the favorite to assume starting duties alongside All-Pro Fred Warner this season, relegating Winters to the kind of role he had prior to 2024: a backup.
Running back Isaac Guerendo
Then-rookie running back Isaac Guerendo had a fast trajectory in 2024, revealing his relative inexperience and need for development early when given few chances behind the fill-in starter, Jordan Mason.
But, by year's end, Guerendo was the Niners' best option, and it's worth crediting the former fourth-round pick after rushing for 420 yards, four touchdowns and averaging 5 yards per carry, especially when he was tasked with starting three games when attrition became a massive problem for San Francisco late in the season.
That said, Guerendo still displayed rawness in his blocking prowess, and despite working on it over the course of the full year, he's not quite the dual-threat pass-catching weapon that'd help him secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind the returning All-Pro, Christian McCaffrey.
It'd be one thing if Guerendo was relatively alone in the competition to secure that job.
Now, after the 49ers added a Frank Gore-endorsed rusher out of Oregon, Jordan James, it's safe to wonder if Guerendo might be dropped down the depth chart into an RB3 role, limiting his value.