We wouldn't mind this whatsoever.
Dane Brugler's full seven-round mock winds up being pretty ideal for the 49ers, especially if the first five rounds end up being accurate.
Perhaps the San Francisco 49ers should name The Athletic's Dane Brugler as their chief NFL Draft analyst.
OK, nothing like that would actually happen. But, in light of Brugler's latest seven-round mock for all 32 teams, the Niners should be notably happy with their crop of prospects the notable draft scout and pundit put together recently.
San Francisco faces plenty of challenges, namely trying to address a slew of holes after some serious player departures earlier this offseason. Coupled with what's widely viewed as a weak 2025 draft class, it'll be a challenge for general manager John Lynch and Co. to adequately plug the voids.
If Brugler's mock ends up coming true for the 49ers, they should be awfully happy.
Brugler mock has 49ers focusing on defensive needs early, hidden-gem talent late
Here are the mocked picks the Niners make, per Brugler:
- Round 1, No. 11 overall: DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
- Round 2, No. 43 overall: LB Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
- Round 3, No. 75 overall: OT Anthony Belton, NC State
- Round 3, No. 100 overall: DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee
- Round 4, No. 113 overall: RB Damien Martinez, Miami
- Round 4, No. 138 overall: CB Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan
- Round 5, No. 147 overall: WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
- Round 5, No. 160 overall: OL Jackson Slater, Sacramento State
- Round 7, No. 227 overall: TE Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
- Round 7, No. 249 overall: QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota
- Round 7, No. 252 overall: DT Elijah Simmons, Tennessee
Stewart, San Francisco's first projected pick, is certainly in the category of boom-or-bust, someone whose sack totals (4.5 sacks over three collegiate seasons) don't jump off the page.
But, as a pure disruptor, the potential and traits are surely there, which Brugler described:
"He created plenty of noise when the Aggies allowed him to pin back his ears and attack the quarterback (he led A&M in pressures in 2024).
His dominant Senior Bowl flashes and elite explosion numbers at the combine could be enough to convince a pass rush-starved team such as the 49ers to bet on his tools."
Starved for pass-rushing help behind All-Pro Nick Bosa, a hopeful ascent from someone like Stewart would surely help, particularly if he becomes one of the relatively few blue-chip prospects from this year's class.
Schwesinger, meanwhile, might easily be tabbed as the ideal replacement for now-Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, whose departure is likely the biggest one the 49ers are going to feel in 2025.
Belton and Slater may both be viewed as mere depth pieces at this point, but the latter showed flashes of brilliance during Senior Bowl workout week and might be tabbed as the long-term replacement for veteran center Jake Brendel.
Martinez seems like something of a flip, although it's hard to fault Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan for going after a dual-purpose running back who netted over 1,000 rush yards in each of the last two seasons (split between Oregon State and Miami) in light of last year's attrition at running back.
Norman-Lott, who had a visit scheduled with the Niners, might be one of the better interior pass-rushing disruptors in a notably deep crop of defensive linemen this year.
Kone, too, is visiting with San Francisco.
The undersized Johnson (5-foot-10 and 165 pounds) is certainly a gadget player whose size alone causes concern, but he made up for it with crisp route-running and separation skills that'd be attractive in Shanahan's system.
If the 49ers do take home a draft class close to what Brugler projected, and at least three or four of those prospects turn into solid contributors, Lynch and Shanahan should be very, very happy.
