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The San Francisco 49ers draft won’t start until late Friday night unless the team makes a trade up. After making bold trades (with varying degrees of success) for Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers don’t pick until the 99th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. While the pick is late, there are still some 49ers draft needs the team can address at that point.
In the third round, the 49ers' draft needs include offensive line, edge rusher, and tight end. On the first two fronts, the team lost right tackle Mike McGlinchey and defensive end Samson Ebukam in free agency. At tight end, the team has superstar George Kittle but not much else behind him.
These are the three 49ers' draft needs they could address at pick No. 99, and here are the players who would make for sneaky-good picks in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
EDGE DJ Johnson, Oregon
Samson Ebukam was a big loss for the 49ers during this free-agency period. He was second on the team in sacks last season with 5.0 and had seven tackles for a loss. The team has 2022 second-round pick Drake Jackson penciled in as the starter now, but they need an upgrade or at least some depth at the position in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Oregon pass rusher DJ Johnson is a 6-foot-4, 260-pound power rusher who would be a good partner for Nick Bosa on the opposite side. Johnson never played more than five games in his first three years with the Ducks, but in 11 contests in 2022, he put up 6.0 sacks and 8.5 tackles for a loss.
At the NFL combine, he also impressed, running a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at his size. Working with Bosa and the 49ers' defensive coaching staff, if Johnson can develop some finesse moves to go with his overpowering bull rush he could become a double-digit sack player. And to have that opposite Bosa would be a huge way to fill one of the biggest 49ers draft needs.
OT Carter Warren, Pittsburgh
The other big 49ers free agent loss was right tackle Mike McGlinchey. He was a polarizing player among San Francisco fans, but he is a legit NFL starter. There’s no telling if young players already on the roster, like Jaylon Moore or Colton McKivitz will provide an upgrade or even an equal to McGlinchey.
That’s why in this 49ers draft, the team needs to take an offensive tackle at some point and pick No. 99 is as good a place as any to do it.
Pittsburgh offensive tackle Carter Warren could be a good prospect for the 49ers. At 6-foot-5, 311 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, Warren has the size and length to be an NFL tackle. He was also a team captain, which shows his football character.
Warren does have some technical issues to improve on, and he’s struggled with injuries at times in college, but in the third round, there will be some warts on any player the team takes.
The former Panther has one of the highest ceilings in the middle rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, so even though his floor could be low, too, he’s worth the risk to fill one of the 49ers' draft needs.
TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
The 49ers have one of (if not) the best tight ends in the game in George Kittle. That said, the team has two issues at the position.
One is that there is precious little depth behind the star. Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley are Kittle’s two backups, and together they have combine for 51 catches for 594 yards and five touchdowns in eight NFL seasons.
Kyle Shanahan is one of the most creative and innovative play-callers in the game, and his system is predicated on interchangeable offensive weapons who can all do a lot of things. That’s why he wants players like WR Deebo Samuel, who can lineup at running back, RB Christian McCaffrey, who can play wide receiver, and FB Kyle Juszczyk, who can also be a tight end.
In Michigan tight end Luke Schoonmaker, the 49ers draft a player who can fit in multiple formations and play multiple positions on offense. He can be a second tight end who excels at run blocking or play a slot wide receiver role if the formation dictates that.
Drafting Schoonamaker would allow Shanahan to keep his two-TE personnel on the field, exploiting defensive matchups and still line up in a variety of formations to run and pass out of, and that is exactly the type of player the team wants in this 49ers draft.
