From Shemar Stewart to Mykel Williams to Walter Nolen, it looks like the 49ers are staying in the defensive trenches with their first pick.
The San Francisco 49ers must prepare themselves for all situations when it comes to the NFL Draft. General manager John Lynch acknowledged as much on Tuesday when he referenced a quote from a popular Hall of Fame coach:
“John Madden, at Fox, one of the things they used to say, you do all this pre-produced stuff and Madden used to ‘What happens when a game breaks out?’ I think it’s the same thing with a Draft. You can have all the plans in the world, but a Draft is going to break out. A bunch of different things are going to happen.”
The first thing the 49ers must be prepared for is a run on positions. That’s what happened in Todd McShay’s mock draft.
Abdul Carter went third, Jalon Walker went seventh to the Jets, but then Walter Nolen and Mykel Williams went back to back at eighth and ninth to the Panthers and the Saints. Just when you thought Mason Graham would fall to the Niners, the Chicago Bears snagged him at No. 10 overall.
That means the 49ers had an opportunity to take Armand Membou, who was still on the board after Pete Carroll and the Raiders took Kelvin Banks. San Francisco skips out on Membou for one of the most polarizing players in the draft:
11. San Francisco 49ers: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
I’m hearing that the 49ers don’t view offensive tackle as their most pressing need with the 11th pick. Instead, there’s a belief they want to address the defensive front here. Stewart is an excellent run defender with the traits to develop into a high-impact pass rusher, along the trajectory of guys like Rashan Gary and Travon Walker. Playing opposite a master technician like Nick Bosa would accelerate Stewart’s development.
Gary or Montez Sweat, now with the Bears, feels like the best-case scenario for Stewart. Every year, we act as if these athletes who test out of this world are some new phoenomenon. As if there is no previous precedent for these prospects entering the league. To me, it takes some hubris to think you can “fix” a player like Stewart, based on what he’s put on tape.
The pushback seems to be that Texas A&M does not coach their players well, and that if there’s a team that could help him turn the corner, it’s the one with Robert Saleh, Kris Kocurek, and Nick Bosa.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco agrees with McShay:
11. San Francisco 49ers: DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
We’re coming full circle with this selection.
Our mock 1.0 debuted on Jan. 10, and we had Stewart going to the 49ers. Then, our picks for the 49ers in the next four mock drafts were, in order, Warren, Membou, Walker and Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
Up until the last moment, we were going with Nolen, again. But we changed our mind.
Stewart has incredible blends of size (6-foot-5, 267 pounds), strength, speed (4.59 in the 40-yard dash), agility, athleticism (40-inch vertical) and motor. The 49ers should not be scared off by his lack of production. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh will believe he can get the most out of Stewart’s ability, which would make this selection a home run.
His 4.5 sacks over three seasons is a concern. But the draft is not about what a player does in college; it’s about what he does in the NFL. Stewart is difficult to pass up because of his unique traits.
The 49ers have a big need at defensive tackle, but they can address the interior of their line a little later.
I would argue that defensive tackle is a bigger need and that you can find an edge rusher with tools who is further along than Stewart as a football player later in the draft. The same is not true for defensive tackle.
Peter Schrager, now of ESPN, does one annual mock draft the day before the first round. He has the 49ers selecting a player who I could not be higher on:
My one and only mock draft, up now on ESPN. @ESPNNFL https://t.co/BHIMdBI4mT
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 23, 2025
In this scenario, only Walker and Williams come off the board, meaning the 49ers have the opportunity to select both Graham and Nolen. I’ll be honest, I think Nolen’s way of winning is more sustainable than Graham’s at the NFL. I struggle to see Nolen being anything less than a plus starter with his violent style of play, making this an A+ pick for the 49ers.
The Athletic did a beat writer mock. During this exercise, Campbell goes fifth to Jacksonville, followed by Membou, Walker, and Mykel going to the Saints. Matt Barrows has the Niners selecting Nolen:
11. San Francisco 49ers: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
If the board fell this way, the 49ers would be looking at Nolen, Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart and Texas tackle/guard Kelvin Banks Jr. Nolen wins that competition because the interior of San Francisco’s defensive line is currently bereft of talent, and because he’s such a good scheme fit.
Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek wants powerful defensive tackles who spring off the snap and attack gaps. That’s Nolen, who had 35 quarterback pressures last season and was a strong tackler in run defense. With Nolen on board, the 49ers would be on the lookout for a bigger-bodied defensive tackle later in the draft, someone like Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, Texas’ Alfred Collins or Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell. — Matt Barrows
Barrows highlights how Nolen is a good fit for the scheme. That’s an important distinction to point out when comparing defensive tackles. At Ole Miss, they slanted, stunted, and moved their defensive line around more than some NFL teams. It helped you see their players win from different positions and highlighted their athleticism.
With Nolen, you can tell by the ground he covers in his first few steps, or how quickly he changes direction, that he is more like an upper-echelon defensive lineman than a collegiate prospect. It’s another feather in the cap for Nolen.
Yahoo Sports has the 49ers lucking out and taking advantage of Graham falling:
11. San Francisco 49ers — Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Trenches have to be the mandate in the Bay Area, whether it be on offense or defense. I looked at a couple of potential offensive linemen here, and even an edge like Mike Green or Mykel Williams to get a long-term running partner for Nick Bosa. Instead, the 49ers shore up the middle of their defensive line with the explosive Graham, who falls right into their laps. Solidifying the spine of their defense will help keep Fred Warner clean and make everyone’s lives easier.
Lynch and the front office need to be prepared for every scenario. In this one, Jalon Walker was the only front seven player outside of Abdul Carter to come off the board.
Lastly, ESPN’s did their version of a beat writer mock. Carter, Graham, and Walker come off the board. Nick Wagoner stays in the SEC, but goes in a different direction:
Nick Wagoner’s pick: Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia
After three offensive tackles, Graham and Carter go in the top 10, the call here comes down to Williams, Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart or Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen but the draft’s depth at tackle combined with the importance of an edge rusher tips the scales to Williams. Williams’ lack of pass-rush production (14 sacks in three seasons) and a 2024 ankle injury bring questions but he should help San Francisco’s woeful run defense right away and get plenty of one-on-one pass-rush opportunities opposite Nick Bosa. While San Francisco would love a trade down, sticking at 11 and landing Williams would allow the team to bolster the interior of the defensive line in the middle rounds.
If Nolen is an A+, Williams is a B. He’s an incredible run defender, but left plenty to be desired as a pass rusher. However, I think it’s far more likely that a coaching staff can find a succession plan for Williams than Stewart.