We decided to get in on the mock draft action and do a seven-round mock that we cut up by round. Chances are the 49ers make some trades and don’t use all 11 of their scheduled selections, but for our purposes we stuck with the 11 picks to get a feel for what types of players San Francisco might target in which round. We used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator to execute the mock, and made the picks for the 49ers. Here’s the seventh round:
The 49ers hold four picks in the seventh round of this year’s draft, and while the final round typically doesn’t get a ton of attention, the quartet of selections could help define San Francisco’s draft.
They could certainly use those picks as sweeteners in other deals to move around the board, although a late Day 3 pick isn’t likely to help them swing any kind of sizable trade.
In our mock, we used all four picks because hitting on just one of those picks could help the 49ers put together a nice draft despite not holding any picks until late in the third. If they find a Jauan Jennings or Brock Purdy level player who can contribute in some way, it helps alleviate some of the pressure to nail their earlier selections.
Other rounds:
Round 3
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7, Pick 222 | CB Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
The 49ers have met twice with Luter, who has all the physical tools to compete in the NFL. He’s 6-0, 189 pounds with 32 3/8-inch arms, and he’s not afraid to use his length to be physical with receivers and disrupt throws. Luter has okay straight-line speed, but his lack of high-end athleticism could hamper him in the NFL. His physical traits make him worth a late-round bet for San Francisco.
Round 7, Pick 247 | DE Lonnie Phelps, Kansas
Phelps is nothing if not very fun to watch. He’s not big (6-2, 244 pounds) and doesn’t have particularly long arms, so he may be better suited as a 3-4 defensive end. However, he flies around the corner and has excellent flexibility that should allow him to succeed even as a 4-3 DE. He finished his college career with 32 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks. There may be some issues for him defending the run, but the 49ers could use a rotational edge rusher and Phelps has the pass rushing chops to fill that role in the NFL.
Round 7, Pick 253 | QB Max Duggan, TCU
The 49ers may not want to use a pick on a quarterback since realistically they just need a camp body and someone to work on the practice squad. Given Purdy’s success last year though it’s enticing to snag another QB in search of lightning in a bottle again. Duggan isn’t particularly big at 6-1, 207 pounds, but he did make 43 starts in four years with the Horned Frogs and threw 1,225 passes. He completed 60.3 percent of his throws for 9,618 yards with 73 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also brings legitimate dual-threat ability after rushing for 1,856 yards and 28 touchdowns in college. Duggan has upside worth taking late without throwing any kind of major wrenches into the 49ers’ plan at QB.
Round 7, Pick 255 | RB Jordan Mims, Fresno State
This is the area the 49ers should be aiming to add a running back, although their desire to add a player here will depend on how they feel about Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason after their rookie seasons. Mims is a good enough player to push for a job on San Francisco’s roster, and he should be available in the later stages of the draft. The Palo Alto native started 25 of the 59 games he played across six years with the Bulldogs. He missed all of 2019 because of an injury, but broke out with a strong couple of years in 2021 and 2022. Over his final two seasons he posted 2,080 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 46 passes for 450 yards and five scores. Mims’ patient, hard-nosed running style would fit nicely in San Francisco, and his ability to work as a check-down option for the QB would make him a real threat to snag a roster spot.
