49ers 7-round mock draft: A new era of stars at WR, CB and OL?

The San Francisco 49ers are not the juggernaut they once were — not heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, at least.

Their offseason has been ugly, headlined by the departures of household names: Deebo Samuel, Charvarius Ward, Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd, among others. In total, the Niners moved on from 17 players during the early offseason. And it's actually no surprise. Their roster was aging, quarterback Brock Purdy is in line for a huge contract and their 2024 season was a major disappointment. It was time.

But that will put a lot of pressure on this draft class' success. We're unaccustomed to seeing the 49ers draft for need, but that's what they'll be doing this year. Let's take a look at their seven-round mock.

Round 1, No. 11 overall: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

If he's still on the board, Johnson is a really nice fit for the Niners. He is a big cornerback — 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds — and that stature creates similarities with Ward, who left for the Colts this offseason. (You'll notice that's a trend in this mock draft: departing players replaced with rookies who share similar athletic profiles.) Johnson, who has been compared to Panthers Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn, would be an instant improvement in the secondary, where the 49ers desperately need competence. Johnson dealt with turf toe in his final college season, but he still looks like one of the 10 best prospects in this draft.

The Niners could try to trade up to land Missouri right tackle Armand Membou. And maybe they wouldn't need to trade up: In his mock draft 2.0, Nick Wright has Membou dropping to San Francisco at No. 11. He would be an incredible fit in the Kyle Shanahan offense. He's the best run-blocking tackle in the draft, and he has the athleticism to improve San Francisco's pass protection.

TRADE! Round 1, No. 30 overall: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

Buffalo Bills get: 43 (second round), 113 (fourth round), 160 (fifth round)49ers get: 30

If the Niners miss out on Membou, they shouldn't on Zabel. It's not totally clear where he'll contribute in the NFL. He played four of the five offensive line positions in college. His arms measured 32 inches — just below the subjective threshold that teams want in a tackle at 33 inches. So San Francisco could experiment with developing him at tackle to replace Trent Williams when he retires. But more likely, they'll start him at guard, where he'll be an asset and a sure-fire fit in the Shanahan offense.

Round 3, No. 75 overall: Oluwafemi Oladejo, edge, UCLA

The best edge players in this class are lighter than the type of player that the 49ers like. But not Oladejo. He's a big dude: 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds. The Bruins moved him from inside linebacker to edge and that explains his lack of sack production, with just 4.5 in 2024. But make no mistake: The move has helped create interest in Oladejo's upside. So he can develop behind (and maybe someday replace) Nick Bosa or Yetur Gross-Matos.

Round 3, No. 100 overall: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State

Williams would be a bit of a coup here. He's a terrific player who would fill a quiet need in San Francisco. The 49ers traded Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. There's hope that Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson can help early in 2025, but there's still plenty of uncertainty from top to bottom in the receiver depth chart.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Williams is much smaller than Samuel, but he's similarly special with the ball in his hands. Williams needs to work on his route-running and catching consistency, but the 49ers would embrace his electricity.

Round 4, No. 138 overall: R.J. Mickens, safety, Clemson

Mickens didn't always play as fast as he ran the 40-yard dash (4.49 seconds), so the 49ers' first task would be to connect his top speed with his play speed. That might be a processing issue — or a confidence issue. But the good news is that Mickens isn't lacking in consistency. He played 60 games in college and was an impressive safety net in the passing and running game for the Tigers. He could be an immediate rotational player for the 49ers, who — even after signing multiple depth options at safety — might find themselves wanting more help.

Round 5, No. 147 overall (from Washington through New Orleans): Logan Brown, OT, Kansas

With Brown, the 49ers would get a developmental tackle. He is an elite athlete who needs to realize his potential. Maybe Brown and Zabel end up at the bookends of the offensive line for years to come. Maybe they're both on the left side. Either way, the 49ers would be thrilled to land two OL starters in this draft.

Round 7, No. 227 overall: Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska

The 49ers like their defensive tackles to come in at least 300 pounds, so Robinson is a bit of a tweener at 288 pounds and 6-foot-5. But there are worse problems to have when you're locking in a player of Robinson's caliber and consistency. When you're looking at guys in Round 7, you're looking for players who can simply make the roster, often just on special teams. But there's a real shot that Robinson would play with enough consistency and motor to crack the rotation — which is lacking quality (and depth) — right away.

Round 7, No. 249 overall: Zah Frazier, CB, UTSA

Frazier is a freak athlete who can make the team for fourth downs. And then it'll be a question of how much and how quickly he can develop into a defensive player.

Round 7, No. 252 overall: Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State

That's right folks: a QB from North Dakota State.

Let's not hold Trey Lance's 49ers tenure against Miller.

In all likelihood, Miller would end up on the team's practice squad where the 49ers could develop him. He's a bit of a Purdy clone: Miller is smaller (6-foot, 215 pounds) and lacks arm strength, but he's a good-enough pocket passer whose strength is accuracy. Plus, he won 14 games last year while scoring 45 touchdowns (33 passing, 12 rushing). Why not, right?

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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