Predicting 49ers' Early 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of decisions looming over them in the next 12 months.
The 49ers could lose multiple key contributors at wide receiver and cornerback to either free agency or trades.
Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are all scheduled to become free agents in 2025.
San Francisco probably can't keep all of its impending free agents, so a roster retooling may happen through the 2025 NFL draft.
The NFC West side is expected to pick near the bottom of the first round again, but they can still find solid talent at wide receiver and cornerback if that's where they are in the draft order.
Emeka Egbuka
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You can't go wrong with an Ohio State wide receiver.
The Buckeyes produced a plethora of NFL stars over the last few years and Emeka Egbuka could be the latest player to add his name to that list.
Egbuka struggled with injuries last season, which led to a decrease from 1,151 receiving yards to 515 yards.
Egbuka still averaged 12.6 yards per catch when healthy, and if he is at 100 percent all season, he should easily return to his 1,000-yard form.
He is expected to be one of the top producers in a loaded Buckeyes offense. That may lead to him being selected well above the 49ers.
ESPN.com's Jordan Reid predicted Egbuka would go at No. 21 in his early 2025 mock draft, but as we know, one positional run or one trade could alter the selection process and drop players to the collection of Super Bowl contenders at the back end of the first round.
The 49ers could also be aggressive in the first round next season in order to lock down a new high-volume pass-catcher to replace any departed stars.
Isaiah Bond
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Isaiah Bond's transfer to Texas could pay off with a first-round selection next April.
Bond flashed on to NFL radars with a strong season at Alabama in which he made 48 receptions for 668 yards.
Bond has a big opportunity in front of him at Texas since the Longhorns lost Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and J'Tavion Sanders to the NFL draft.
A 1,000-yard season working with Quinn Ewers inside the Texas offense should confirm Bond's first-round status.
As may be the case with Egbuka, the 49ers might be willing to trade up a bit in the first round to secure a new top pass-catcher if Aiyuk and Jennings move on next offseason.
Denzel Burke
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The 49ers could have their eyes on Ohio State for other reasons than bringing in a wide receiver.
Ward and Lenoir are both in the final year of their respective contracts, and each player should have a decent free-agent market waiting for them.
The 49ers can't pay every one of their stars, so they may have to replenish the cornerback depth in the draft if they focus on retaining their top pass-catchers.
Denzel Burke is one of a few first-round cornerbacks who should have the 49ers' attention over the next year.
Burke has 25 passes defended and two interceptions in his Ohio State career. He is expected to be one of the focal points of a Buckeyes defense that could lead the program to a national title.
Winning pedigree could come into the 49ers' decision making as well, and if that is the case, Burke could be the ideal 2025 draft prospect for them.
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