With the 2024 NFL season officially in the books and the Philadelphia Eagles coming out on top in Super Bowl LIX, all eyes turn to the offseason. The 2025 NFL Draft is the next big milestone, and mock drafts are rolling in with predictions on how the 49ers will reload for the new year.
Draft analysts are weighing in on San Francisco's potential moves – whether it's bolstering the offensive line, reinforcing the defense, or preparing for the future.
Here's a look at who experts have the 49ers selecting in the first round:
- Kelvin Banks Jr. - OT, Texas
"Banks could wait his turn and be the third tackle on the Niners depth chart, or begin his career inside at left guard..."
- Mason Graham - DT, Michigan
"If I had a big board, I'd have Graham third overall in the class right now. His fit within defensive coordinator Robert Saleh's scheme could be just what the former Wolverine needs to reach his very high upside – plus, Graham's presence could supercharge the other pieces along the Niners front."
- Walter Nolen - DL, Ole Miss
"Ole Miss' Walter Nolen can provide the exact type of skill set that Shanahan and Co. prefer along their defensive interior, as a penetrating defender capable of playing up and down the line of scrimmage. 'San Francisco likes athletic defensive tackles, who can put pressure on the quarterback, and the club is about to lose one in Hargrave,' Holder said. 'Nolen fits that description well. He's a disruptive enough player on the interior to be a suitable replacement for Hargrave. The Ole Miss product and Nick Bosa can wreak havoc in the backfield together.'"
- Josh Simmons - OT, Ohio State
"Before suffering a knee injury in October, Simmons was right there with Campbell as the smoothest and most agile offensive tackles in college football. His pre-injury 2024 showing made for easily his best stretch in college, as he allowed just one pressure in 306 snaps. The medicals will be critical here, though the timing of Simmons' injury should allow him to be ready for training camp."
- Mykel Williams - EDGE, Georgia
"John Lynch's first four first-round picks as 49ers GM all came in the trenches. While he's taken only Trey Lance (No. 3 overall in 2021) and Ricky Pearsall (No. 31 overall in 2024) in the first round since, Lynch looks poised to return to the defensive line of scrimmage that saw a downturn last fall. Mykel Williams is the kind of athletic marvel who defensive line coach Kris Kocurek could work magic with."
- Mason Graham - DT, Michigan
"Here, they do a pick swap with Jacksonville (about a second-round trade value) to jump up and get one of the top defensive linemen in the draft."
- Armand Membou - OT, Missouri
"A dramatic riser of the 2024 college football campaign, Armand Membou has massive potential at both tackle and guard for the 49ers. He's low to the ground, yet impossibly long. He's an elite athlete. He's unyielding with his physicality, and he's only trending up."
