The 49ers' No. 1 offseason need might be the defensive line, but a poll of recent mock drafts suggests that's not exactly the case.
There's a good chance the San Francisco 49ers will use their first pick, No. 11 overall, in the upcoming NFL Draft on a defensive lineman.
However, there's also a good chance they don't.
The Niners' tumultuous offseason has seen plenty of notable contributors exit the building, including standouts like wide receiver Deebo Samuel and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and those departures have left plenty of holes on general manager John Lynch's roster.
With only modest free-agent pickups in response, San Francisco has more roster questions than answers at this point, almost mandating Lynch to hit on each one of his scheduled 11 draft picks this April.
One (or more) of those hits will have to be to address what's a massively depleted defensive line, a unit that dismissed Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave already, effectively leaving defensive end Nick Bosa as the sole recognizable name.
So, it seems natural to assume the 49ers' top pick will be on a D-lineman, right?
Well, not exactly.
49ers mock NFL Draft roundup: D-line isn't the consensus favorite
Let's comb through some recent mocks from around the league to see which prospects land with the Niners at No. 11 overall.
The variation might surprise you.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
"The 49ers’ defense has seen a lot of departures this offseason, including at cornerback. Barron is one of the most consistent players on tape among prospects in this year’s class and he can take the ball away. He’ll be able to match up against some of the talented slot receivers in the division."
Rob Rang, Fox Sports: OT Armand Membou, Missouri
"A polar opposite of the Bears a pick earlier, the 49ers lost several key starters in a salary-cap purge and now need to reshuffle the roster. At just 20-years-old, Membou is still learning the subtleties of the game, but he's agile and powerful, projecting as an immediate upgrade at right tackle and a quality candidate to succeed Trent Williams (when necessary) as Brock Purdy's blindside protector. "
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports: Edge Mykel Williams, Georgia
"Most assumed San Francisco would be the landing spot for Joey Bosa in free agency, but he signed with the Bills. The 49ers still have a need for greater contributions opposite Nick Bosa. They still need interior defensive line help, but it may be too rich at this point in the first round."
Grant Cohn, Sports Illustrated: DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
"The 49ers might feel skittish about drafting another defensive tackle high in the first round after missing on Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas, but they desperately need a plug-and-play DT after releasing both Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins this offseason. Enter Grant, one of the best run defenders in the draft. At 6'4", 331 pounds, he’s built like Giants Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Ideally, the 49ers probably would prefer to trade down before taking Grant, but his stock could rise after his pro day on March 21."
Sayre Bedinger, NFL Spin Zone: OT Armand Membou, Missouri
"The San Francisco 49ers may have other more pressing needs defensively, but if they are going to throw a massive contract offer at quarterback Brock Purdy, then they’ve got to make sure he’s well protected. Armand Membou might be the best pure tackle in this class but as is the case with most guys these days, he could slide inside to guard is the 49ers saw fit to put him there. He has the size, length, and athleticism to do whatever."
Marco Enriquez, Pro Football Network: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
"The San Francisco 49ers need help in the secondary, and they get one of the most versatile defensive backs in this draft. Will Johnson might not make it to No. 11, but if he does, the 49ers will land a lockdown corner. He’s an instinctual player with an impressive understanding of route concepts. His quick reactions and anticipation make Johnson a ball hawk, but he does tend to jump routes."
Matt Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area: Edge Jalon Walker, Georgia
"The 49ers are getting a two-for-one with this selection of Jalon Walker. At Georgia, where he was considered a team leader, his snaps were split between playing off-ball linebacker and edge rusher. Where do the 49ers need him? They can figure out where Walker is the best fit for this defense. He could replace linebacker Dre Greenlaw on base downs. Walker won the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Then, he could drop down and provide the 49ers with a complement to defensive end Nick Bosa and rush the passer from the other side in nickel situations."
Marcus Mosher, The 33rd Team: OT Will Campbell, LSU
"Will Campbell’s arms didn’t hit the 33-inch threshold that many teams want in their offensive tackles, but this is too good of a value for the 49ers to pass up. Campbell could start his career at guard and then eventually move back to left tackle once Trent Williams retires. Either way, Campbell makes a ton of sense in a zone-heavy scheme."
Matt Barrows, The Athletic: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
"San Francisco goes with Harmon, a big, productive defender with versatility on the inside of the line. No college interior defensive lineman had more quarterback pressures than Harmon last season, per PFF. The 49ers also have had good luck over the years with Ducks defenders — Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Deommodore Lenoir."
Cody Williams, FanSided: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
"You could honestly put like nine different positions on a board and throw a dart if you're John Lynch and that's probably a need for the San Francisco 49ers after the offseason of losses this franchise has endured. Jahdae Barron continues to stand out for me, though. I loved his film and his Combine backed up that he's just a freaky good talent who can play above-average in zone or man concepts. Specifically with the loss of Charvarius Ward, Barron can come in to be the new anchor in the secondary."
While D-linemen, such as Grant and Harmon, are seen as immediate-impact prospects for a key position of need, it's almost more provocative to see players like Membou and Barron mocked to San Francisco by multiple draft analysts.
There could be a good reason for this.
The 2025 draft is widely seen as deep for D-linemen, not so much for offensive tackles and starting-caliber cornerbacks. Plus, there's no shortage of analysis suggesting prospect Nos. 20 through 50 are roughly equal, not boasting the kind of drop in potential associated with that gap in other draft classes.
So, the 49ers may look to grab another position of need at No. 11 that isn't from a deep class, then focus on D-linemen later without sacrificing too much prospective talent.
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