SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The first three rounds of the NFL Draft are in the books with the San Francisco 49ers addressing needs at receiver, cornerback and the offensive line in Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, Florida State’s Renardo Green and Kansas’ Dominick Puni.
The fourth round begins Saturday with the 49ers selecting at picks No. 124 and 135. They have two picks in the fifth (Nos. 173, 176), one in the sixth (No. 215) and one in the seventh (No. 251).
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There are still plenty of receivers if the team wants to bulk up that position. Central Florida’s Javon Baker and USC’s Brenden Rice are possibilities. There’s a defensive tackle, Oregon’s Brandon Darlus, the team brought in for a visit. And there are several tight ends should the 49ers decide to add another player at that position.
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Round 4
DL Brandon Dorlus, Oregon: He’s one of the draft’s fastest defensive tackle prospects. That alone might pique the 49ers’ interest and they hosted Dorlus on a visit. Dorlus could give 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek the precise type of weapon he covets: A strong end for base downs who can slide inside to beat guards with his athleticism in nickel situations.
WR Brenden Rice, USC: It’s inevitable — he’ll be known as Jerry Rice’s son among 49ers fans for the foreseeable future. That just comes with the territory. But Brenden Rice does have the size, speed and hands to develop into an NFL receiving role. His production consistently grew over four seasons at USC. Much of it came on off-schedule connections with QB Caleb Williams, so Rice will have to prove he can master the intricacies of timing and route running at the NFL level. That wasn’t a problem for his dad.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas: Sanders was used more as a receiver than a blocker in Steve Sarkisian’s spread attack, which means he could be a project for the 49ers. But he might be one worth taking on. Sanders caught 99 passes over the last two seasons and averaged 15.2 yards per catch in 2023 — impressive for a tight end.
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S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest: He notched 13 tackles for loss over his last two seasons in college. That’s a testament to Mustapha’s nose for the football. The 49ers frequently ask their safeties to deliver run support. There are some questions about Mustapha’s coverage instincts, but he did maintain discipline on his assignments in college.
WR Malik Washington, Virginia: You might consider the 5-8, 191-pound Washington a “mini Deebo.” A tough runner with the ball in his hands, he forced 35 missed tackles in 2023, tops among FBS receivers. That he finished with 1,426 yards, was a team captain and handled kickoffs also ought to put him on the 49ers’ radar at the end of the third round.
TE Theo Johnson, Penn State: Johnson might be another candidate worthy of a long-term investment. He’s got excellent size at 6-6, 261 pounds, and he moves that weight well having run his 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds. He was a good red-zone threat for Penn State last season with seven touchdowns.
TE Jared Wiley, TCU: The 49ers like tight ends who have experience blocking on the end of the offensive line, and Wiley lined up as an inline tight end on 62.4 percent of his snaps last season. Wiley also has good hands — just one drop in five college seasons — and showed he can handle a heavy load in the passing game with a 178-yard performance against Baylor this past season.
CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville: He’s a good candidate for a developmental role at nickelback. Brownlee is known for competitiveness. That grit can come in handy at the slot cornerback position. So can his twitchy feet.
WR Javon Baker, Central Florida: It’s hard to predict where Baker will land in a loaded wide receiver class. He’s not a burner, but he averaged 21.9 yards per catch last season due to his crisp route running. He’d seem to be a good fit on a team that throws to the second and third levels as much as the 49ers do.
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DE Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State: Evaluators won’t like his 6-1 height, his 32 3/8-inch arms or his small-for-his-position hands. But Kamara’s production is undeniable — 21 1/2 sacks and 33 tackles for loss over the last two seasons.
CB Decamerion Richardson, Mississippi State: The tape isn’t great, as Richardson struggles to find the ball in coverage downfield. He didn’t log a single interception at Mississippi State. But Richardson is 6-2 and he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Those numbers should pique any NFL team’s interest. Now, can he be developed into a good corner?
Round 5
RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville: He topped out at 810 yards in his best college season, but the 49ers might view that as a positive. Guerendo, who’s only once surpassed 100 carries in a season, should still have plenty of tread on his tires. His 4.33 40-yard dash, featuring a 1.54 10-yard split, indicates there’s enough speed here to hit the edge in the NFL. Remember that Elijah Mitchell is entering his final season under contract with the 49ers.
LB Curtis Jacobs, Penn State: He has a fast burst, as evidenced by a 1.57-second 10-yard split. Jacobs racked up 24 tackles for loss over his college career, most of which came via knifing stops on run blitzes. This is another option if the 49ers want developmental depth at linebacker, but don’t take Greenlaw’s success for granted: It’s not easy to find a quality, every-down linebacker in the fifth round.
LB Jaylan Ford, Texas: He’s a highly instinctive player who put up big numbers in college. By the time his career with the Longhorns was over, Ford had amassed 27 1/2 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, six interceptions and four forced fumbles. That’s the production of a good football player worthy of a close look in the draft.
CB Elijah Jones, Boston College: He’ll need to strengthen up in an NFL weight room, but Jones already has 4.4 speed and good 6-1 height. He intercepted five passes over just nine games in 2023. Jones also broke up 28 passes over the past two seasons. Brugler criticized Jones for some “undisciplined tendencies,” but he’s clearly an ascending player with the physical tools to make noise in the league.
Round 6
WR Bub Means, Pittsburgh: Means seems well-suited for a West Coast offense in that he’s got the speed — 4.43-second 40 — to turn short- and medium-length passes into big gains. He also has nice size at 6-1, 212 pounds and long arms — 33 1/2-inch arms — that are reminiscent of Aiyuk’s.
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S Sione Vaki, Utah: He’s a good football player. The 49ers said the same thing in 2021 about Talanoa Hufanga, whose measurable marks — like Vaki’s — weren’t particularly impressive. Vaki’s success as both a safety and running back in college suggests that he simply has a nose for making plays on the gridiron.
TE Erick All, Iowa: All has missed big chunks of the last two seasons with injuries, most recently with a torn ACL that he suffered in October. That will no doubt hurt his draft position, but he’s shown he’s a good pass catcher who’s also willing to block.
CB Chau Smith-Wade, Washington State: He’s undersized at 5-10, 184 pounds, but his 16 pass breakups over the past two seasons underscore his ability to stick to a receiver’s hip pocket. Smith-Wade also was a team captain and played a lot of special teams at Washington State, a must for a late-round draft pick.
RB Dylan Laube, New Hampshire: He’s small-school Christian McCaffrey, leading the Wildcats in both rushing and receiving last season. The vast majority of those yards came against FCS opponents, though he did have 295 receiving yards in a narrow loss to Central Michigan.
Round 7
LB/S Jamal Hill, Oregon: This can be another Staley special for the 49ers because Hill has already demonstrated excellent roving abilities. He started his college career as a nickelback before moving to inside linebacker during his final season — despite weighing only 216 pounds. Perhaps that illustrates the sport’s trend toward lighter and quicker defenders.
CB Shon Stephens, Ferris State: The Bakersfield native notched 16 interceptions over the past two seasons, which is a remarkable total at any level of football. Stephens is very fast — his pro day 40 was clocked at 4.4 — but he’s also only 5-8. Still, a ballhawk is a ballhawk, and the 49ers have reportedly been in contact with Stephens.
DE Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington: Brugler lauded his “dogged determination” when pursuing quarterbacks. Edge rushers with excellent athleticism will not be available this late in the draft, making a high motor the commodity to covet. Tupuola-Fetui certainly brings that.
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RB Jase McClellan, Alabama: He started for the Crimson Tide and led them in rushing last season. McClellan also racked up 40 catches for 409 yards over his college career. That’s important to the 49ers, who want their reserve running backs to handle plays designed for McCaffrey. There are injury concerns surrounding McClellan, but he has an NFL-ready physique and could represent solid value at the end of the draft.
LB Tatum Bethune, Florida State: The 49ers might love Bethune’s reputation as Florida State’s best practice player. His explosiveness on the blitz has helped him amass 26 pressures over the past two seasons. Bethune’s longer-range speed, though, is merely average. That’s why he isn’t projected to be picked until late in the draft.
DT Evan Anderson, Florida Atlantic: The 320-pound Anderson is a run stuffer with enough movement skills to collect 3 1/2 sacks last season. He visited the 49ers and would be a free-agent target if he doesn’t get drafted.
(Top photos of Brandon Dorlus and Brenden Rice: Brandon Sloter / Image Of Sport / Getty Images and Ric Tapia / Getty Images)