We don’t know who Kyle Shanahan’s quarterback will be. But he and the San Francisco 49ers have proven that, with good coaching and good roster maintenance, teams can stay in contention even amidst uncertainty under center. In this 49ers NFL Mock Draft, San Francisco weathers the storm, giving Trey Lance and Brock Purdy more support.
In this scenario, simulated trades were active among other teams via the Mock Draft Simulator, but the 49ers held steady and did not make any moves.
Latest San Francisco 49ers 2023 NFL Mock Draft
OT Wanya Morris, Oklahoma | Round 3, Pick 99
The need on the interior isn’t San Francisco’s only question to answer along the offensive line. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is also a free agent this offseason, and his price tag might be too high for the 49ers’ tastes.
If San Francisco ends up needing to re-invest at RT in the 2023 NFL Draft, Wanya Morris would be an excellent addition in Round 3. He’s an elite athlete with great knee bend and length, whose explosiveness and tenacity make him a potential road-grader in the run game.
C Luke Wypler, Ohio State | Round 3, Pick 100
From a price perspective, Jake Brendel might be a more reasonable retainment for San Francisco. But there’s a chance the 49ers could add a prospective upgrade in the 2023 NFL Draft with Ohio State’s Luke Wypler.
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Wypler checks many of the surface-level boxes. He’s a great athlete in space with a dense, compact 6’3″, 300-pound frame and good proportional length. Beyond that, Wypler stays square with his opponents, has impressive grip strength, and the awareness to seal off backside defenders on running plays.
RB Tank Bigsby, Auburn | Round 3, Pick 101
Early on, the Christian McCaffrey trade looks like a win for the 49ers. McCaffrey’s presence alleviates the pressure to spend notable assets on the RB position in 2023, but his health is always a looming concern, and Tyrion Davis-Price might end up being Trey Sermon 2.0.
Bottom line: If the value is there for the 49ers in the middle rounds, they should pounce. And late in Round 3, Tank Bigsby is a tremendous value. With his blend of short-area agility and instincts, Bigsby is the perfect back to have in the stable behind McCaffrey, and his best could be unlocked in San Francisco.
CB Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern | Round 5, Pick 157
With Emmanuel Moseley and Jason Verrett both hitting the free agent market, the 49ers should have an eye on the stacked 2023 NFL Draft CB class. It’s the perfect year to need a CB, and San Francisco knows better than most how to find steals in the middle rounds.
This cycle, Cameron Mitchell could be that steal in Round 4 or 5. The 6’0″, 195-pound cover man had a pick and seven deflections in 2022, showing off his fluidity, instincts in space, and ball skills at the catch point.
DT Karl Brooks, Bowling Green | Round 5, Pick 166
The 49ers like alignment versatility on their defensive front, and few prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft provide more of that — especially in the Day 3 range — than Bowling Green’s Karl Brooks.
Brooks, who logged 16.5 sacks across 2021 and 2022, is a 6’3 3/8″, 303-pound defensive lineman who can take reps at 5-tech and outside, or at and around his natural 3-tech spot. He has the athleticism to move around the front, and the active hands to win from different starting points.
TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan | Round 5, Pick 173
Past George Kittle, the 49ers are a bit thin at the tight end spot. Ross Dwelley and Tyler Kroft are both set to be free agents. Similarly to other positions of need for San Francisco, the 2023 NFL Draft is strong at tight end, and Luke Schoonmaker makes a ton of sense here.
Schoonmaker is an athletic, well-built TE prospect at around 6’6″, 250 pounds. He’s a smooth receiver who made strides in that phase in 2022, but his high-level blocking ability is what should allow him to earn a role right away in San Francisco’s offense.
S Christian Izien, Rutgers | Round 6, Pick 217
While San Francisco doesn’t have a pick until the 99th selection, their excess of middle and late-round picks should allow them to weather some of the turnover they’ll experience in free agency, or at least recoup depth. Safety is another position at risk, with expiring contracts from Tashaun Gipson and Jimmie Ward.
Christian Izien is a sleeper in the 2023 NFL Draft, who could end up being a great value deal in Round 6 or 7. A versatile multi-year starter within Rutgers’ secondary, Izien is an instinctive, fluid defender with plus ball skills. At 5’8 1/2″ and around 200 pounds, he’s a bit undersized, but Izien makes up for it with his physicality.
EDGE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska | Round 7, Pick 224
We’ve mentioned that the 49ers like versatility along the line, but it’d also do them well to invest in a more traditional EDGE threat in the 2023 NFL Draft. Evan Ochaun Mathis provides some projected versatility with his frame, but his skill set is best used at 5-tech and outside — at least until he adds more mass.
At 6’4 1/2″ and 247 pounds, with near-35″ arms, Mathis is a long, explosive athlete with eye-catching flexibility and short-area control in close quarters. With his burst and length, Mathis can channel devastating power on full extensions.
DL Desjuan Johnson, Toledo | Round 7, Pick 249
The importance of a deep defensive line rotation is becoming more and more visible throughout the modern NFL. But the 49ers have long been proponents of this, commonly maintaining a rotation that goes two and even three deep at some spots.
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With a host of free agents on tap up front, Toledo’s Desjuan Johnson helps reinforce San Francisco’s depth, while also providing more alignment versatility. He’s a flexible, high-motor rusher, and while Johnson could add more mass to his 6’2″, 267-pound frame, his pure play pace and natural leverage can be a lot to deal with.
LB Jeremy Banks, Tennessee | Round 7, Pick 255
If Azeez Al-Shaair walks in free agency, the 49ers will need a new strong-side linebacker alongside Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Ideally, you’re not searching for an immediate contributor in Round 7 — but at the very least, more depth can add stability and upside to the situation.
In this 49ers NFL Mock Draft, Jeremy Banks provides both. He’s a visibly explosive athlete at 6’1″, 225 pounds, with a compact frame and a wicked motor in the box. He attacks downhill as a former running back but has untapped three-down upside and immediate special-teams utility.