Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Wednesday, March 19th, 2025
“NFL Draft Diamonds reported that Lynch was present to observe this year’s group of draft-eligible Ducks working out for NFL teams. Additionally, the 49ers had eight scouts in attendance…..Tuesday’s workout featured defensive lineman Derrick Harmon and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., both of whom could be selected on day one of the draft.
Other participants included wide receivers Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end Terrance Ferguson, and defensive back Jabbar Muhammad.”
Why 49ers’ most shocking offseason decision is what they’ve done to their defensive line (paywall)
“Regardless of the financial forces at work, it’s still shocking that Lynch and Shanahan would allow their defensive line to look so feeble at this point in the offseason.
Their history suggests their passion for the position will show up in this year’s draft. The hope is that they can mimic teams such as the NFC West champion Rams and Super Bowl champion Eagles, whose success last season was fueled by previous drafts.
The Rams used a first-, second- and third-round pick on a defensive lineman from 2023-2024, and those players combined for 25.5 sacks last year (including the playoffs). The Eagles invested three first-round selections on defensive linemen from 2022-2023, and that threesome had eight sacks in four postseason games last season.
Lynch and Shanahan began their partnership by examining their barren roster and agreeing on a blueprint for success. Eight years later, the leadership tandem probably couldn’t have guessed they’d ever find themselves in this spot: needing to rebuild a defensive line they helped dismantle.”
49ers’ pre-draft roster analysis: Which positions need the most work? (paywall)
“The 49ers should draft at least two defensive tackles among their 11 selections. They could use both a nose tackle type (Michigan’s Kenneth Grant or Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, for example) and a penetrating three-technique (such as Michigan’s Mason Graham, Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen or South Carlina’s T.J. Sanders).”
““It was just something that they put on my radar and something that I needed to be prepared for,” Juszczyk said. “And just as things went on, just the optimist in me started telling myself that, ‘Man, I don’t think we’re gonna have to do this. It’s getting close to the actual free agency period. I haven’t heard too much. Things are kind of looking good.’
“But then they finally, a couple days before that, were like, ‘Yeah, this is a real thing; the financial restrictions we’re under are a real thing.’ And they kind of put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or if we wanted to continue to try and negotiate a pay cut….I think, just to put it in the simplest terms, at the end of the day, it was too much to leave home,” Juszczyk admitted. “I wanted to be a Niner, and we were able to get to a number that I was comfortable with. And then, we were able to make the deal, and I couldn’t be happier. And I’m trying not to look back at all. I’m just happy to be there and know I’m locked in for two more years.”
Mel Kiper Jr. mock draft: 49ers must prioritize building up the O-line for Brock Purdy
“Membou is my top-ranked tackle in the class, and I see him sliding in on the right side, where he started 30 games in college,” Kiper wrote.”
49ers bolster secondary in latest Daniel Jeremiah mock draft
“The 49ers’ defense has seen a lot of departures this offseason, including at cornerback,” Jeremiah explained. “Barron is one of the most consistent players on tape among prospects in this year’s class and he can take the ball away. He’ll be able to match up against some of the talented slot receivers in the division.”
49ers express pre-draft interest in Penn State DB Jalen Kimber
“Kimber played 16 games as a senior in 2024, registering a career-high 37 tackles (one for a loss) and three passes defensed. It was his only season at Penn State after previous stints with Florida and Georgia.”