The 2021 NFL draft could be among the most fascinating in league history. With no guarantee of a college football season and some players beginning to opt out, NFL teams could end up flying relatively blind with prospects going into the draft. That’s an especially tough scenario for the 49ers, who’ll rely heavily on draft picks to help replace some of the players they’ll lose in an offseason where salary cap space is at a premium.
The Draft Wire put together a three-round mock draft ahead of training camp where San Francisco uses their only two picks in the first three rounds to shore up their secondary and their offensive front.
Here’s what happened with each of their selections:
Round 1, Pick 30: Israel Mukuamu | CB | South Carolina
Mukuamu is part of a very good cornerback tandem for the Gamecocks alongside Jaycee Horn. The physical traits with Mukuamu make him a prime candidate for San Francisco’s zone-heavy scheme. He’s listed at 6-4, 205 pounds. That size may make it difficult for him to play straight man coverage against NFL receivers, but he still moves well enough to be an effective pro. In two seasons at South Carolina Mukuamu has five interceptions, 10 pass breakups and four tackles for loss. Given his size and cornerback skill set there’s a chance the 49ers may covet him as a strong safety if they lose Jaquiski Tartt in free agency.
Round 2, Pick 62: Tommy Kraemer | OL | Notre Dame
It’d be interesting if the 49ers took a tackle in the second round. In this scenario, it probably means Trent Williams didn’t re-sign and Mike McGlinchey moved to left tackle. Kraemer has been a right tackle during his career at Notre Dame, and was a stellar pass blocker last year before a season-ending knee injury limited him to just seven games. Perhaps the 49ers would take him to try and slide him to the interior, but given their depth and Kyle Shanahan’s penchant for finding interior lineman through other means, it’s hard to envision them not playing Kraemer at one of the tackle spots. This will be maybe the most interesting aspect of the 49ers’ 2021 offseason, because what happens with Williams at left tackle will have a major effect on how they operate in the draft. If they do need a tackle, they’d probably need to scoop one earlier than the second round.
Round 3, Pick 94: Traded to Washington
The 49ers dealt their 2021 third-round pick to Washington in the trade that landed them Trent Williams. Packaging a future third and a 2020 fifth was already a good deal for San Francisco. It could end up being an even better deal if the college season is impacted by COVID-19. Selections late on Day 3 will come with a lot more uncertainty. Washington in the Draft Wire mock adds USC receiver Tyler Vaughns with the selection.
