A new three-round mock draft from the Draft Wire is out and has three intriguing selections for San Francisco.
The 49ers don’t have a glaring need where they must draft a player to be impactful right away, but they have some pretty significant boxes to check for potential starter and depth purposes.
One of the areas they don’t hit in this three-round mock is offensive tackle, where a right tackle prospect could conceivably push Colton McKivitz for the starting job. If they do want to target a RT specifically, they may need to do so with a trade up earlier in the third or into the back of the second.
Instead, they hit a couple defensive needs before reaching into the offensive bag for a pick that may matter more in two or three years than this season:
Round 3, Pick 99 | CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
The 49ers can afford to take a project cornerback with high upside and good physical traits. Rush fits that bill. He measured in at the combine at 6-2, 198 pounds before ripping off a 4.36 40-yard dash. Rush is a former high school WR who’s still learning how to play CB, so a year to develop in a secondary that won’t need him to play a ton of snaps could be really beneficial.
Round 3, Pick 101 | DE Zach Harrison, Ohio State
Harrison is a popular mock pick for the 49ers. He’s over 6-5 and weighed in at 274 pounds. He’s a tremendous athlete as well who may fit better as a 3-4 DE, but in San Francisco’s scheme it’s easy to see him finding a home as an interior pass rusher in sub packages who can kick out to the edge in run situations.
Round 3, Pick 102 | WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
One of Brock Purdy’s former teammates? Sure! Hutchinson played two seasons with Purdy (2020 and 2021) and caught 147 passes for 1,758 yards and nine touchdowns from him in 25 games as a junior college transfer. Last year he broke out with 107 receptions for 1,171 yards and six TDs. The 49ers have to do a little bit of looking ahead at WR with Brandon Aiyuk’s contract due to run out after the 2024 season. Hutchinson isn’t a particularly great athlete, but he’s good at using his 6-2, 203-pound frame to wall off defenders and make catches in traffic. If he can find ways to create separation in the pros, his already-established rapport with Purdy could help him make an impact.
