The 49ers wound up with five picks in the 2020 NFL draft after a slew of trades, including one that landed them seven-time Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams from Washington.
They didn’t fill all of their pre-draft needs, but their shrewd moves around the board landed them players who should be able to carve out contributing roles right away.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each selection:
Round 1, Pick 14 | DL Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
The 49ers traded back one spot from pick No. 13 to snag Kinlaw. He is a a 6-5, 324-pound monster in the middle with the athleticism to play all over the line. Kinlaw uses his long arms and explosiveness to light up offensive linemen and quickly shed them on his way to the backfield. The sack numbers aren’t great (10 in his last two seasons), but his physical skill set puts his ceiling in the realm of DeForest Buckner, who he was brought in to replace. They want a strong defensive line – and Kinlaw gives them that opportunity.
Round 1, Pick 25 | WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
While the public pre-draft conversation didn’t revolve around Aiyuk, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan coveted him above all the other receivers. He’s a monster with the ball in his hands and led the nation in yards after catch a season ago. Lining him up across from Deebo Samuel gives San Francisco multiple do-everything receivers. Aiyuk’s deep speed should also make the 49ers’ offense more explosive down the field as well.
Round 5, Pick 153 | OL Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said McKivitz would’ve been the 49ers’ pick earlier in the draft had they not acquired left tackle Trent Williams in a trade early on Day 3. He played right tackle in college, but the 49ers will likely start transitioning him to the interior where they have less depth. McKivitz is flat-out mean on the offensive front, and his attitude and effort alone should at least make him a valuable depth asset.
Round 6, Pick 190 | TE Charlie Woerner, Georgia
There’s a clear path to Woerner receiving playing time in Year 1, and it’ll come playing the same role he played in college. He’s a very capable and very willing blocker who caught only 34 passes in college. He has enough athleticism to not be a total liability if the ball is thrown his way, but he’ll primarily work as a blocker alongside George Kittle and Ross Dwelley. The 49ers needed to get deeper at tight end, and Woerner should be able to play right away.
Round 7, Pick 217 | WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
There wasn’t a better receiver in the 2020 NFL draft class than Jennings at breaking tackles. He aims to dish out punishment, which is good because he has good size at 6-3, 215 pounds and he’s not very fast with a 4.72 40-yard dash. Jennings plays well through contact though and may have his best football ahead of him after a rocky career with the Volunteers. Shanahan loves when receivers create yards after the catch, and Jennings’ tackle breaking ability makes him very good at that.
