The San Francisco 49ers came up just short of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy last year but still have the foundation of a contending roster heading into the 2024 NFL season.
The Niners have 10 picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, and we’ll use them and the PFN Mock Draft Simulator for this projection, retooling the roster for next season.
San Francisco 49ers 2024 NFL Draft Picks
The 49ers have the foundational pieces in place with Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa to make another run at a Super Bowl title this upcoming season.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch has certainly had some misses — Trey Lance comes to mind — but ultimately has built a contending roster through the draft over his entire tenure.
- Round 1, Pick 31: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
- Round 2, Pick 63: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
- Round 3, Pick 94: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
- Round 3, Pick 124: Brandon Coleman, OG, TCU
- Round 4, Pick 131: Brenden Rice, WR, USC
- Round 4, Pick 133: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice
- Round 5, Pick 176: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
- Round 6, Pick 211: Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech
- Round 6, Pick 215: Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington
- Round 7, Pick 251: Jalen Green, EDGE, James Madison
* denotes compensatory/conditional pick
San Francisco 49ers 7-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 31: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa
Iowa’s Cooper DeJean possesses a skill set that makes for an unclear projection heading into the NFL. He certainly could thrive as a hybrid safety with his effectiveness as a slot defender and physicality in run support.
Yet, he could project as an effective zone corner on the outside, which fits the Niners’ zone-heavy defensive scheme. DeJean has exceptional ball skills and can scream downhill when the action unfolds in front of him.
Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga make for a potentially great starting safety tandem moving forward, but DeJean’s playmaking ability and versatile skill set could help the back end of this defense become even more formidable.
Round 2, Pick 63: Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
The decision to part ways with Arik Armstead and the loss of Javon Kinlaw this offseason certainly puts the Niners in the market for an interior defensive lineman, which could make Ruke Orhorhoro an intriguing prospect at the end of the second round.
The Clemson product has some elite physical traits that could allow him to develop into a disruptive force up front with some plus-level alignment versatility, but he is still a bit raw with his technique.
Fortunately, the 49ers can afford to be patient with Orhorhoro in his rookie season, seeing that veterans Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins are already on the roster.
Round 3, Pick 94: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
Right tackle Colton McKivitz may have recently received a one-year extension, but that doesn’t mean the Niners shouldn’t address the offensive line unit in this draft.
Yale’s Kiran Amegdjie is loaded with physical tools that project to being a future starter in the NFL. His length, athleticism, and overwhelming power give him a sky-high ceiling, which the 49ers could certainly use with Williams getting older and McKivitz’s limitations at right tackle.
Round 3, Pick 124: Brandon Coleman, G, TCU
TCU’s Brandon Coleman spent plenty of time at left tackle during his collegiate career but has experience at guard and projects to the inside at the next level.
Coleman’s 34-inch arms give him exceptional length for an offensive line prospect and generate plenty of movement in the running game, which happens to be quite important in San Francisco.
He could challenge Spencer Burford or Aaron Banks early in his career for playing time if he can become more consistent with his hands and more disciplined with his pad level.
Round 4, Pick 131: Brenden Rice, WR, USC
The rich history of the San Francisco 49ers dynasty simply can’t be written without the excellence of Jerry Rice. Well, his son happens to project as a middle-round pass-catching prospect this year.
MORE: Top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Quite frankly, this one makes too much sense. The depth chart behind Samuel and Aiyuk at wide receiver isn’t anything special. Brenden Rice flashed plenty of upside as a vertical playmaker during his time at USC, which could see him contribute as a quality third receiver behind the two dynamic starters and develop into something more after 2024.
Round 4, Pick 133: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice
Speaking of All-Pro NFL bloodlines tied to the 49ers organization, Luke McCaffrey is the younger brother of the aforementioned Christian McCaffrey and brings a unique skill set of his own to the NFL.
Luke is a converted quarterback who flashed real playmaking ability as a receiver during his final collegiate season at Rice. His exceptional short-area quickness and elite change-of-direction skills could make him a menace to deal with as a slot contributor.
Aiyuk is under contract through this year and Samuel through 2025. These two receivers going back-to-back in this draft may seem like nothing more than sentimental picks, but they both offer different skill sets and possess plenty of upside as future playmakers in the Niners’ offense.
Round 5, Pick 176: Isaac Guerendo, RB, Louisville
Speaking of the current McCaffrey on the roster, his 339 total touches last year produced an exceptional amount of yardage and touchdowns. Yet, he will turn 28 years old this year and certainly doesn’t have a definitive top backup on the roster.
Louisville’s Isaac Guerendo transitioned from receiver to running back during his days at Wisconsin, but he boasts an elite athletic profile and home run-hitting ability in this zone-based scheme as a complementary option entering the league.
His vision is still a bit inconsistent but should improve with more reps at the position, and the 49ers represent an ideal scenario for him to learn and contribute behind the best back in the league to start his career.
Round 6, Pick 211: Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech
One intriguing edge prospect that saw his stock potentially rise after the 2024 NFL Combine was Texas Tech’s Myles Cole, who boasts an 86 1/4″ wing span at 6’6”, 278 pounds, and ran a 4.67 40-yard dash.
Unfortunately, his impressive measurables didn’t translate to a ton of production on the field, which is evident by his mere five sacks over six collegiate seasons.
His physical tools will be intriguing to some NFL personnel evaluators, but he should be considered a project prospect entering the league.
Round 6, Pick 215: Edefuan Ulofoshio, LB, Washington
The devastating injury to Dre Greenlaw in the Super Bowl leaves the Niners with a potential question mark on the starting roster at the linebacker position heading into the 2024 NFL season.
Edefuan Ulofoshio made some splash plays during his final collegiate year at Washington, but his lack of size and inconsistencies in diagnosing plays quickly negate some of his intriguing athletic traits.
Round 7, Pick 251: Jalen Green, EDGE, James Madison
James Madison’s edge defender Jalen Green was enjoying an outstanding 2023 season before tragically suffering a knee injury that cost him the rest of his final collegiate season.
To give you an idea of how productive Green was last year, he tallied 15.5 sacks in just nine contests and displayed a nice variety of pass-rushing moves in the process.
GET DRAFTING: Free NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
He’s undersized as an edge prospect, and the injury certainly impacted his draft stock, but his production alone warrants a flier selection at the end of the draft.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!