Jeremiah identifies 49ers pick that would be ‘home run’ selection

Jeremiah identifies 49ers pick that would be ‘home run’ selection originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers will look to shore up the interior of the defensive line during the offseason, and NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah has a good idea of what prospects will fit into the team’s scheme.

Jeremiah spoke to national media via conference call on Wednesday and believes Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham would fit seamlessly into Kris Kocurek’s defensive line group.

“Where they’re picking at 11, they’re going to be able to get a really good player,” Jeremiah said via conference call. “I’m curious, the one thing — we talked about him as one of the top players in the draft with Mason Graham. I’ll be curious to see how he goes through the spring.

“As I mentioned, I think his tape is so good, but I’m sure he’s going to totally ace the spring part of it. If you are looking for someone who I think would be a home run pick for them, what’s the dream scenario, to me, it would be [if] Mason Graham were to fall down to them where they could scoop him up and pick him up.”

Graham is listed at 6-foot-3, 320 pounds and listed as PFF’s No. 4 overall prospect. Over his three seasons at Michigan, the defensive tackle was lined up predominantly in the B-gap, registering 12 sacks, 17 hits and 47 hurries. The Wolverine also is effective against the run, with 108 tackles — 60 solo and 18 for a loss over his NCAA career.

Jeremiah’s next suggestion spent two seasons at Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss, and is ranked No. 15 overall on PFF’s draft board.

“The player that is a great scheme fit for them, which I think would be more of a trade back, than taking him there at 11 would be Walter Nolen,” Jeremiah said. “With their jet front and they like to play up the field. With Kris Kocurek, they want to really get off the ball and penetrate and go, and he’s really twitched up.

“So Walter Nolen would be someone to me, that maybe if you slid down a little bit to get a little more value, that would be a defensive tackle that would be a really fun fit for that group.”

The 6-foot-3, 305 pound defensive tackle racked up 14 sacks, 10 hits and 46 hurries in three seasons— 25 of them in his final year as a Rebel. Nolan also steadily improved, increasing his tackle totals each season, finishing with 48 in his final season — 25 solo along with 6.5 sacks in 2024.

With Javon Hargrave set to test the open market, the team has interior men Jordan Elliott, Maliek Collins, Kalia Davis, and Evan Anderson currently under contract. While Jeremiah believes that the 49ers could add a defensive tackle at No. 11, it is a position that is very deep in this draft, allowing San Francisco the potential to wait until Day 2, and still get a player who will be able to contribute in their rookie season.

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