Despite still being months away, it is never too early for the San Francisco 49ers to look at the NFL Draft.
General manager John Lynch has all of his own picks in the first four rounds this April, and thanks to the Rooney Rule, the Niners will be awarded a compensatory third-round pick in 2025. This comes as a result of the Houston Texans bringing on former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach a season ago.
That's five picks, all projected to be mid-range or better in the first two days. Now, that's also barring any other deals and swaps.
All-Pro Fred Warner has looked sharp at the linebacker position since his name was called in the 2018 NFL Draft. Dre Greenlaw, De'Vondre Campbell, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles and Curtis Robinson are all expected to hit free agency this offseason, though.
Thus, San Francisco may be looking to use one of its picks to take a linebacker.
Here are some prospect targets who'd fully round out the 49ers' linebacker corps alongside Warner.
1. Jihaad Campbell - Alabama
He's just shy of 6-foot-3' and weighs 245 pounds. Ignoring Alabama's previous losses this year, the Crimson Tide still fields a solid team, especially on defense.
Jihaad Campbell's 40-yard dash time was a 4.5, and the stats to back up his potential. He had five sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and one pick entering championship weekend.
The college junior is on pace to nearly double his total tackles from last season (66). This year, he already has recorded 108 of them.
It truly has been a breakout year for the Erial, New Jersey, native. Expected to be a first-day selection, if he's available, San Francisco would be wise to select him.
Having him play alongside Warner makes the 49ers younger and more athletic at a position that merits an infusion of energy. Warner is less than two years away from 30 years old, and Greenlaw has only just worked his way back from last February's devastating Achilles tear.
Taking Campbell early on is almost a no-brainer.
2. Danny Stutsman - Oklahoma
This senior linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners is ready for the next level. At 6-foot-4' and over 240 pounds, Danny Stutsman would also be a wise pick in the first round come next April.
With his third season in a row racking up 100 total tackles or more, Stutsman also recorded at least one sack as well.
Running his 40-yard dash at 4.62 seconds, he is not as fast as Campbell. However, the former's versatility will also serve defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen well (should he remain in the Bay Area).
Stutsman has five games with 10 or more total tackles, including two in his last three. He also had another game where he tallied nine.
If Campbell is on the board, Stutsman could be a 49er sooner than later.
3. Smael Mondon, Jr. - Georgia
Another tall and athletic prospect from the stacked SEC is entering the next NFL Draft, the Georgia Bulldog senior has two sacks on the year.
In the two seasons previous, Smael Mondon Jr. has only one pass defended each year.
So far in 2024, he has three.
With the ability to disrupt the opposing team's passing game like that, the Dallas, Georgia, native would be a menace to NFC quarterbacks like Kyler Murray, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts and more.
Mondon sat out the entire month of October but nevertheless showed he's healthy and capable of being a dominant force on defense.
In the nail-bitter win over Georgia Tech, he was credited with 13 total tackles, his highest total of any game this year. He also reigstered a major sack during the eight-overtime victory.
San Francisco is no stranger to big games like that one. Having a player like Mondon would make the Niners even more prepared for such.
4. Jeffrey Bassa - Oregon
Already familiar with the West Coast, as he is from Salt Lake City, Utah, Jeffrey Bassa is another tall and big linebacker at 6-foot-2' and 235 pounds,
Having ran a 4.65 time for his 40-yard dash, Bassa is playing for one of the nation's top ranked teams in college football.
The senior Duck also has shown he can disrupt opposing teams' offenses, too. This year, he has a pair of passes defended and two forced fumbles to brag about.
That's the kind of productivity that would complement Warner and other 49ers linebackers next year.
If San Francisco misses the playoffs for the first time since 2000, it'll want to bring in an impact player like Bassa in the NFL Draft.
5. Harold Perkins, Jr. - LSU
This player has an intriguing story to his body of work in college, and Harold Perkins Jr. could be a prospect who drops to the 49ers in the third round, much like how Warner did before.
With big seasons in 2022 and 2023, this year has not been kind to Perkins as he suffered a torn ACL early on. Given that circumstance, he might even fall to the fourth round.
Prior to 2024, Perkins added four pass defenses in back-to-back years. In both of those seasons, he also forced three fumbles in each.
He's 6-foot-1' and 225 pounds, and the LSU Tiger ran a sub 4.50 40-yard dash time before his injury. In theory, Perkins could stay in college for his senior year, but his draft stock may plummet further.
We have seen the 49ers draft players in the same position before in the draft (i.e. wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing last year). Taking one of the aforementioned linebackers in addition to Perkins wouldn't be too far fetched.
Landing him as a mid- or even late-round flier wouldn't be a bad strategy at all.