San Francisco 49ers mock draft: Best and worst-case scenarios for Kyle Shanahan in 2024 NFL Draft
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers couldn’t have come any closer to Superbowl glory in 2023. They put up a brilliant fight against the Kansas City Chiefs and only lost in overtime.
It’s widely accepted that the Niners have the best roster in terms of depth and overall quality, but some still doubt Brock Purdy in comparison with his QB contemporaries like Patrick Mahomes.
Shanahan suffered a third Super Bowl defeat of his career, and each has been more heartbreaking than the last. As the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, he saw his team squander a 28-3 lead in a loss to the Patriots.
He has since lost two as a coach in Santa Clara, both to the Chiefs, with the first coming after the Niners had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. They gave up a 44-yard pass on a 3rd and 15, which would have ended the game realistically.
Many worry about how the 49ers will pick themselves up for 2024, especially with player departures weakening their roster and the cap situation beginning to be a problem.
Losing Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, with Brock Purdy coming in as a seventh-round pick has eased some of those cap concerns and kept the Super Bowl window open for Shanahan. However, a good draft is needed in 2024 if the team are going to have the depth to make another run to the big game.
The main areas of concern are on the offensive line and at defensive tackle. It could be argued that the need for an OT to be a starter is more important in the short-term. However, with Arik Armstead having left for the Jaguars, the Niners need to replenish their defensive line with quality.
San Francisco 49ers 2024 NFL mock draft scenarios
49ers mock draft: Best-case scenario
Sportskeeda’s 7-round Mock Draft simulator has provided us with a best-case scenario for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers.
Almost inexplicably, Byron Murphy II has fallen all the way down to #31, and the Niners simply can’t pass up that sort of quality, even if DT isn’t the primary need of the draft.
Murphy is a player who shouldn’t be on the board here. He's athletic and is able to adapt to most defensive schemes. He fires off the line with an explosive first step and can use his hands effectively to change direction and bamboozle opposing linemen.
Armstead was an expert at penetrating the line of scrimmage and creating opportunities to pressure the QB, either to force a sack himself or create an opening for Nick Bosa. Murphy is a player very much in this same style and creates devastation for opposing quarterbacks.
The only concern here would be that Murphy has already peaked athletically and you may not see much improvement.
After not being able to resist the value of Murphy, the Niners address their OT concerns with their second selection. Matt Goncalves out of Pittsburgh is an athletic player with good size. He's mobile and effective on the line of scrimmage.
His game IQ is perhaps his best attribute. He's able to lean his blocks well and can adjust to moves made by pass rushers. He should be able to protect Brock Purdy exceedingly well and could be a Day-1 starter for the Niners.
Marshawn Kneeland off the edge is a great selection for depth. He's a powerful pass rusher and makes plays happen when he’s on the field. This is a great opportunity to have an effective pass rush on the odd occasion that Bosa isn’t on the field.
While not as high as they would have liked, the Niners add serious depth to their TE position in this draft. You’re never going to displace George Kittle, but Tip Reiman and Jaheim Bell are both reliable catchers with good bodies. They can improve and give the Niners better backup options in that area.
Brandon Coleman is a versatile offensive lineman who can play at either guard or tackle. He helps the 49ers, who usually have a lot of injuries due to their intense run-first offense. He's strong enough to knock pass rushers off their game, so fans won’t be unduly worried when he's called onto the field.
Here’s how the draft class played out in full:
· Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
· Matt Goncalves, OT, Pittsburgh
· Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan
· Brandon Coleman, OG, TCU
· Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois
· Decamerion Richardson, CB, Mississippi State
· Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State
· Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami (FL)
· Logan Lee, DT, Iowa
· Frank Gore Jr., RB, Southern Miss
49ers mock draft: Worst-case scenario
Whilst Ja’Tavion Sanders is a fine tight end, selecting him with a first-round pick would be a mistake for the San Francisco 49ers. The need at TE is for reliable backup, and this just isn’t the position to make such a move.
This is criminal especially when you see that Byron Murphy II has even dropped out of the first-round in this scenario. The Niners follow up their poor planning by adding Cedric Gray at LB out of North Carolina, a position in which they are already stacked with quality.
Jermaine Burton is a promising receiver with upside, but again the Niners just don’t need a player there. It's not until the fourth round that the Niners address their O-Line and Sataoa Laumea will not be a starter in 2024.
This draft class represents a classic case of a team with quality not really knowing how best to improve and panicking when they get on the clock. There were quality players that the 49ers passed on in positions of need. If this is how the Niners leave the 2024 NFL Draft, Kyle Shanahan’s chances of a Super Bowl win won’t be any higher than they were after free agency.
Here’s how the worst-case class played out in full:
· Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas
· Cedric Gray, LB, North Carolina
· Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
· Sataoa Laumea, OT, Utah
· Mason Smith, DT, LSU
· Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky
· Dylan McMahon, OG, NC State
· Khalid Duke, EDGE, Kansas State
· Dylan Laube, RB, New Hampshire
· Carter Bradley, QB, South Alabama