If the 49ers use Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft to address their defensive line, Pro Football Focus thinks this prospect would be ideal.
There are plenty of reasons why the San Francisco 49ers could target defensive linemen beyond just Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
For starters, they need at least two, potentially three starting-caliber options. Coupled with the fact this year's draft is awfully deep with D-linemen, that's not a bad position to be in.
On top of that, the Niners may opt to use their first pick, No. 11 overall, to address other needs where the class depth isn't quite as deep as the D-line, thereby tabling that pressing need for later and allocating one of their remaining 10 picks after the first round is in the books.
Should this strategy pan out, there's an interior defensive lineman out of South Carolina who could easily fit the bill.
Pro Football Focus identifies perfect Day 2 draft prospect for 49ers
First-round prospects get the bulk of draft buzz, but anyone who's watched a few drafts over the years knows fully well there is plenty of talent on the second and third days.
In fact, one could argue San Francisco has had more success in the later rounds than early on in recent years.
Pro Football Focus just combed through all 32 teams' ideal targets in Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft, and the one potentially billed for the 49ers makes plenty of sense: South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders:
"The 49ers need a disruptive presence on the interior, so targeting a disruptive 3-technique like Sanders makes too much sense. His wicked first step and lateral quickness — due to his basketball background — allowed him to penetrate at a high level, contributing to his 90.3 PFF pass-rush grade versus true pass sets last season."
Sanders, 6-foot-4 and 297 pounds, is a quality blend of both run-stopping ability and interior pass-rush potential. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he registered 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for a loss, showing an uncanny ability to create problems between the tackles.
If anything, the Niners haven't had a solid and likable interior option since the tandem of Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner, meaning a player like Sanders could fill one-half of that glaring void.
Plus, if his would-be presence helps cut down on San Francisco's woeful run defense from the last couple of seasons, it'd be all the better.
Sanders is widely projected as a second-round prospect, although the fluidity of players ranked from Nos. 20 through 100 on many a big board suggest the possibility of him falling into Round 3, particularly this year.
Armed with three picks in Rounds 2 and 3, don't be shocked if the 49ers made Sanders a priority target.