Prospects for 49ers to Avoid in 2022 NFL Draft

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

The 49ers enter with nine picks, but only one of them comes in the first two rounds. San Francisco must land an impact player in one of its positions of need with the No. 61 overall pick.

Kyle Shanahan and his staff should watch the offensive line market closely. They could use some help on the interior, with some questions surrounding the future of the guard and center spots.

Defensively, the 49ers need to make a few runs at the secondary. They are thin at the position and could use some more depth to deal with the star-studded wide receivers who reside in the NFC West.

San Francisco has a decent record of landing star power in the latter rounds. Elijah Mitchell was chosen in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Talanoa Hufanga, who could start at safety in 2022, was chosen one round before Mitchell. George Kittle, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are among the other gems found in the third round and beyond.

The 49ers' eye for talent should allow them to pick out which prospects may not be good fits for their system.

Marquis Hayes

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San Francisco needs an interior offensive lineman who can slide into its system right away.

The 49ers could hand a starting job to a rookie at the position if he beats out Colton McKivitz or Daniel Brunskill.

Oklahoma's Marquis Hayes could be a target, but he is viewed as more of a development prospect by some experts.

ESPN's Jordan Reid described Hayes as a "solid utility developmental project" in his seven-round mock draft.

San Francisco might not be able to develop an interior offensive lineman because its need has to be filled immediately in training camp.

The 49ers may be willing to use the No. 61 pick to address that issue. Nebraska's Cam Jurgens and LSU's Ed Ingram could be among the options they go after before Hayes.

A true center could also be in the 49ers' view because of Alex Mack's age (36).

Lewis Cine

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Lewis Cine's draft stock skyrocketed during the College Football Playoff.

The defensive back out of Georgia could be a solid playmaker in the NFL, but the 49ers should have their eyes on other players at the position.

Maryland's Nick Cross should be on the Niners' radar more than the other defensive backs expected to go on Day 2. Cory Giddings of B/R's NFL scouting staff described Cross as someone who "is athletic enough to cover down over the slot."

The 49ers may be willing to take a more versatile player in the secondary than a hard-hitting defensive back, such as Cine.

Georgia's defense will be one of the most popular units in the selection process, but the San Francisco may find better options available at defensive back.

Velus Jones Jr.

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Velus Jones Jr. thrived inside Tennessee's fast-paced system installed by first-year head coach Josh Heupel.

Jones added to his profile by becoming the Volunteers' top return man.

San Francisco should not go after the speedster from the SEC in the latter rounds, though, because he fits a similar profile to some of its current wide receivers. The 49ers need a physical, possession-based wide receiver to complement Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings.

Jones' talent could be viewed as redundant if the 49ers choose him because the NFC West side signed Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency.

McCloud chipped in on the returning front during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he could be tasked with those duties, along with Samuel and Aiyuk, in the 2022 campaign.