49ers' Team Needs to Fill in 2023 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers should have a clear defensive focus in the 2023 NFL draft.
They need to fill up their depth across the board in all three layers of defense to ensure they are well-equipped to chase after a title in 2023.
Kyle Shanahan's team is set at the top of the offensive depth chart with Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle supporting their next starting quarterback.
A major offensive addition is unlikely given the team's current personnel, so it should look to use most of its 11 draft picks on defense.
San Francisco will not be involved in the 2023 NFL draft until the end of the third round, where it has three compensatory picks. It could always trade up into the first and second rounds, but for now, it will be operating in the last four rounds.
That should not be a concern for the 49ers, though, since they found Brock Purdy, Talanoa Hufanga, Elijah Mitchell and Deommodore Lenoir in the later rounds of the last two drafts.
Defensive End
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The 49ers need to build more depth behind Nick Bosa.
At the moment, Drake Jackson and Clelin Ferrell are the two other notable defensive ends on the roster.
Jackson, a 2022 second-round pick, had three sacks in his rookie season, and he could take the next step in his development to partner Bosa.
Ferrell was a failed first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders, and he has turned to the 49ers to help rejuvenate his career after struggling to get on the field consistently in 2022.
The two have lots of potential, but the 49ers do not want to risk banking on just potential to help Bosa get through a 17-game season.
San Francisco should use one or two of its picks to fill out the depth behind Bosa, Jackson and Ferrell.
The hope would be for one of those rookie edge-rushers to make some sort of impact to take some pressure off Bosa as the primary pass-rusher.
Linebacker
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You can apply the same sentiment from the defensive-line need to linebacker.
The 49ers have Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw in the starting spots at the position, but they could use more depth behind them.
San Francisco lost Azeez Al-Shair in free agency, and the team has been left with little depth behind the two.
The 49ers should feel confident in finding a linebacker who can help right away through their draft picks. Warner was a third-round selection, and Greenlaw was taken in the fifth round.
The San Francisco scouting staff has had a good eye for talent in the latter rounds, and that should help the team deal without picking until the 99th overall pick.
Cornerback
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The 49ers would love to find another late-round secondary gem like Deommodore Lenoir.
The 2021 fifth-round pick took a step up in production last season, recording 54 tackles, five passes defended and an interception.
Lenoir and Charvarius Ward make up a solid one-two combination at corner, but like the other positions, the 49ers lack quality depth behind them.
San Francisco has dealt with injuries at cornerback in the past with Jason Verrett, so it must land one or two corners in the draft.
The 49ers need the cornerback depth to prevent a steep drop-off from Ward and Lenoir to their backups, but they also need more high-quality players to cover the abundance of wide receivers each contender in the NFC has.
San Francisco needs to prepare itself to cover A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert if a potential NFC Championship Game rematch occurs against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Within the NFC West, the 49ers must slow down DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown, so any extra help on the defensive flanks is welcome.
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