Now that the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine is behind us, the San Francisco 49ers are preparing for who they will draft with the No. 31 overall selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.
After losing in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, the 49ers will look to rebound against their first-place schedule in the NFC West. The 49ers will be returning Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, and other star players. According to one NFL insider, the 49ers will use the 2024 NFL Draft to secure help in the secondary.
NFL Insider Adam Caplan Has 49ers Drafting CB Kamari Lassiter
With the No. 31 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, NFL insider Adam Caplan has mocked Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter to the 49ers.
The 5’11 1/2″ Lassiter had 37 total tackles in his final year with the Bulldogs. He only has one career interception but recorded 14 passes defended with eight coming in his final season. At just 21 years old, Lassiter joins Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry as the best cornerbacks coming out of the SEC this season.
During his time with Georgia, Lassiter was a two-time national champion.
Lassiter ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash, which is a little slow for a player at his position. However, his 6.62-second three-cone drill grades out in the 97th percentile in his class, alleviating some of the reservations from his 40-yard dash time.
Caplan noted that, at the NFL trade deadline, the 49ers were looking for help in the secondary, trying to acquire a cornerback to pair with Charvarius Ward, but were unsuccessful. With this selection, they can lock down a longer-term option opposite Ward.
Their 2021 fifth-round pick, Deommodore Lenoir, who was the starter opposite Ward for most of the season, is set to hit free agency. 49ers veteran cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell, Logan Ryan, and Isaiah Oliver are also set to hit free agency in March. Using this No. 31 selection on Lassiter helps the 49ers recover from those potential losses.
Behind Ward, the 49ers are not very deep. Utilizing this draft pick on a secondary player will give new 49ers defensive coordinator Brandon Staley a little bit of flexibility after the organization decided to move on from Steve Wilks following their Super Bowl loss.
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It’s possible the 49ers could look to free agency to add another cornerback ahead of the NFL Draft. However, money could also be spent retaining Chase Young, Randy Gregory, or Javon Kinlaw.
Caplan says this selection allows the 49ers to address a huge, immediate need by taking a chance on an underrated prospect.
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