The 49ers are slated to be back in the first round of the 2024 draft which means we get to have some fun diving into mock drafts.
At this time of year though draft stocks for most players are dramatically different than what they’ll be at the end of the college football season and the draft process. Still, it’s fun to start digging into what players might be available when San Francisco is on the clock.
In the latest Draft Wire two-round mock there’s a fun wrinkle where the 49ers have won the Super Bowl and hold the final pick in the draft. That’s a departure from the norm where they’ve picked in the late 20s, 30th or 31st.
With the No. 32 overall pick the 49ers seek out cornerback help in the form of Wake Forest’s Caelen Carson. He is described by Draft Wire as a “press-man specialist who tracks the football well and isn’t shy about contact.” That fits the mold of a 49ers CB, and with a thin secondary and no surefire long-term answers at the position, a cornerback in Round 1 makes a lot of sense for the 49ers.
In Round 2 at No. 64 the 49ers snag some offensive tackle help and pick Washington OT Troy Fautanu. He was a Third-Team All-Pac 12 selection in 2022 after starting all 13 games for the Huskies. Fautanu was their starting left tackle for 12 games and stepped in at left guard for another. He’s flashed guard-tackle versatility multiple times in college which will surely be something that would put him on the 49ers’ radar.
It wouldn’t be a shock if they tried for an offensive tackle earlier in the draft depending on how right tackle Colton McKivitz finishes out the year. He’s been improving, but the team may want a more solidified answer at the position by season’s end.