The 49ers may not have an opportunity to be picky in the 2023 NFL draft. They don’t pick until late in the third round with the No. 99 selection, which may force them to forego positional needs and focus instead on getting the best player available.
A three-round mock draft from NFL Media’s Chad Reuter illustrates how a team with so many returning starters can still chart a successful draft.
Reuter has the 49ers selecting players who may not necessarily start right away, but should provide immediate depth in the trenches and in the secondary.
Here’s a look at who heads to the Bay Area in NFL.com’s three-round projections:
Round 3, Pick 99 | DE KJ Henry, Clemson
The 49ers will need to add some depth on the edge with Samson Ebukam, Charles Omenihu and Jordan Willis all headed for free agency. Adding help there with their first selection of the draft makes sense. Henry doesn’t have the size to kick inside the way Omenihu did, but he’s a good athlete who posted 26 tackles for loss and 13.0 sacks over his last four seasons with the Tigers. He’d be an intriguing prospect to watch develop under defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
Round 3, Pick 101 | CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
There’s no such thing as too much cornerback depth. The 49ers have a starter with Charvarius Ward. Emmanuel Moseley is a free agent, although general manager John Lynch expressed interest in bringing him back after the cornerback tore his ACL in Week 5 last season. After that it’s Deommodore Lenoir and some question marks on San Francisco’s roster. Rush, a converted wide receiver, has good size at 6-2, 195 pounds. In his final two seasons with the Gamecocks he posted 64 tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions and 15 pass breakups. Given his college position change, Rush might need some development before contributing on an NFL defense. San Francisco would offer that sort of opportunity, especially if Moseley comes back.
Round 3, Pick 102 | OL Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
The 49ers have to start shoring up some of their offensive line depth. They have Mike McGlinchey, Jake Brendel and Daniel Brunskill hitting free agency. Saldiveri could conceivably step in and compete for the starting right tackle spot right away. As a redshirt freshman he started 11 games at RT. The following year he started all 13 games there and played some right guard per the ODU athletics site. He finished his career with 10 starts at right tackle and a start at right guard. That type of experience, combined with NFL size at 6-6, 316 pounds, could make Saldiveri another nice mid-round find for San Francisco.
