Hidden-Gem Prospects 49ers Must Target in 2024 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best roster cores in the entire NFL—one that just took the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime in the Super Bowl. However, the 49ers do have room for improvement entering the 2024 draft.
With 10 total selections, including the 31st overall pick, San Francisco will have several opportunities to get better over draft weekend.
While fans will largely focus on the 49ers' top picks—Nos. 31, 63 and 94—San Francisco will need to succeed in all stages to have a truly successful draft. Of course, that might not be easy in a year that lacks overall depth in the draft.
Here, we'll examine three under-the-radar prospects the 49ers must consider on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL draft.
Edge Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
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Last year, the 49ers made a deadline trade for Washington Commanders pass-rusher Chase Young. The move didn't work out as expected, and Young departed for the Saints in free agency.
While San Francisco did add pass-rushers Yetur Gross-Matos and Leonard Floyd in free agency, it should be very interested in continuing to bolster its pass-rushing rotation. Floyd and Gross-Matos both signed on two-year deals, and the 49ers still don't have a long-term complement to Nick Bosa behind them.
Given the addition of Gross-Matos and Floyd, though, this may not be a position San Francisco targets early in the draft. Snagging UCLA's Gabriel Murphy would be a great way to kick off Day 3 if it chooses to wait on a pass-rusher.
Murphy isn't the biggest edge prospect at 6'2" and 249 pounds, but he's quick, athletic and could contribute early as a passing-down specialist. He isn't built to be an edge-setting defender in San Francisco's 4-3 base alignment, but he's similar in size to Floyd (6'3", 240 lbs) and could easily slot into the rotation.
Last season with the Bruins, Murphy tallied eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He's the 124th-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board, and the 49ers own picks No. 124, 132 and 135 in Round 4.
OT Christian Jones, Texas
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The 49ers had issues on the right side of their offensive line in 2024, but rather than replacing right tackle Colton McKivitz, they signed him to a one-year extension.
McKivitz—who allowed nine sacks in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus—should not be considered San Francisco's right tackle of the future. However, the 49ers believe in him enough that they probably won't target the position early.
If they don't, Texas' Christian Jones would be a sensible Day 3 draft target. The 6'5", 318-pound prospect has athletic limitations but is big enough and powerful enough to slot into San Francisco's run-based offense.
"Jones wins as a run-blocker by creating jolt and lateral displacement on down blocks and feeding his target over as the drive man on double-teams," Brandon Thorn of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He has big, strong hands to tie up defenders once latched while straining hard to finish through the whistle."
McKivitz, like Mike McGlinchey before him, is a better run blocker than pass protector—which seems to be the preference of head coach Kyle Shanahan. Jones fits that mold.
A four-year starter at Texas, Jones is experienced enough to provide immediate depth at tackle or guard, and he'd give San Francisco a strong option to develop for the future.
CB Johnny Dixon, Penn State
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Any team with championship aspirations should be interested in developing cornerback depth. That's especially true for the 49ers, who struggled against top-tier quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in 2023.
Aside from adding Isaac Yiadom in free agency, San Francisco has done little to address the position. That needs to change later this month.
Cornerback is a spot that the 49ers could target early in the draft. Even if they do, however, targeting Penn State's Johnny Dixon on Day 3 would still make sense.
Dixon has decent length at 5'11" and 192 pounds, and he's not afraid to mix it up with opposing receivers.
"He excels at the line of scrimmage, where he shows off his lateral quickness and the ability to use his length and arms to disrupt receivers working down the field," Cory Giddings of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "He quickly gets in phase, where he can get his head around to locate the ball."
Dixon also has good ball awareness, logging 15 passes defended and three interceptions over the last three seasons. While he probably wouldn't start early in his career, he could give the 49ers valuable depth while immediately contributing on special teams.
*Draft order information via Tankathon
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