49ers' Team Needs to Fill in 2022 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have to wait until the end of the second round to get involved in the 2022 NFL draft.

Kyle Shanahan and his staff could still find plenty of value at the 61st overall selection and beyond, having enjoyed some success on the second and third days of the draft in previous years.

Deebo Samuel was a second-round pick in 2019. Fred Warner was a third-round selection in 2017. George Kittle, Elijah Mitchell, Jauan Jennings and Dre Greenlaw were chosen on the final days of their respective drafts.

San Francisco has some clear holes to fill with its nine selections. One of the first picks made by the 49ers should come on the offensive line. The 49ers lost Laken Tomlinson during free agency, and they could use one or two young interior linemen to compete for the starting spot vacated by the offensive guard's departure.

San Francisco addressed its top defensive need in free agency, as it signed Charvarius Ward from the Kansas City Chiefs, but some depth is still required in the secondary to deal with all of the offensive weapons in the NFC West.

Interior Offensive Line

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Tomlinson's departure opened up a hole in the San Francisco offensive line.

Unfortunately, the 49ers will not be able to choose one of the top-tier interior players in the 2022 NFL draft class.

The Niners should use one or more of their first draft selections to bring in competition for Daniel Brunskill and Colton McKivitz.

San Francisco will first pick at No. 61 overall in the second round. And it has a pair of third-round picks at Nos. 93 and 105.

According to Bleacher Report's NFL scouting staff, LSU's Ed Ingram and Georgia's Jamaree Salyer are the best interior offensive prospects who should be around at No. 61.

Nine interior offensive linemen are ranked between No. 67 and No. 100 on the B/R scouting staff's overall prospect list, so the 49ers should have plenty of options to choose from.

San Francisco may take multiple offensive guard prospects because it needs to create depth behind Brunskill and McKivitz.

The offensive interior is so important to the 49ers rushing attack, so it would not be surprising to see the Niners go after one or two prospects they think can be molded into solid players.

Defensive Back

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The 49ers took a big step in improving their secondary by adding Ward in free agency. He will be the team's top cornerback for the 2022 season, but the team needs to put more help behind him on the depth chart.

Jason Verrett is still a free agent, but the 49ers may be more inclined to land a younger, less injury-prone player.

At safety, Jimmie Ward and 2021 fifth-round pick Talanoa Hufanga are the projected starters going into training camp.

San Francisco could look to Auburn corner Roger McCreary or Cincinnati's Coby Bryant if either one is still available at No. 61. They are respectively ranked eighth and ninth at their position by B/R's scouting staff.

Georgia safety Lewis Cine, who shone in the CFP National Championship, is another name to watch if San Francisco wants to go after a defensive back in the second round.

The 49ers might look to the latter rounds for extra defensive backs if the offensive line is their top priority, but they should look for reinforcements to deal with all of the offensive talent scattered across the NFC West.

Running Back

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You can never have too many running backs on the San Francisco roster.

The run-heavy offense requires depth at the position, and the 49ers proved with Elijah Mitchell last season that they can find gems on the third day of the draft.

San Francisco owns six picks from the fourth to the seventh rounds, including three in the sixth. One of those selections should be used on a young running back who could add depth.

Mitchell comes into the 2022 season as the team's No. 1 running back, but there are some questions behind him with JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon.

UTSA's Sincere McCormick is an intriguing running back to look for later in the draft. McCormick ran for 1,400 yards in consecutive seasons in Conference USA.

Tyler Badie of Missouri and Michigan's Hassan Haskins are two senior backs coming off 1,000-yard seasons who could draw interest from the 49ers as well.