San Francisco 49ers biggest needs in the 2025 NFL Draft

Last Modified Apr 25, 2025 12:49 GMT
San Francisco 49ers biggest needs in the 2025 NFL Draft
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. Source: Getty Images

The 49ers are in uncharted territory going into the 2025 NFL draft. The perennial Super Bowl contenders under Kyle Shanahan had their wheels fall off last season, going from representing the NFC in the Super Bowl in 2023-24 to finishing dead last in their division.

With an exodus of talent leaving in free agency and contract uncertainty surrounding star players Brock Purdy and George Kittle, John Lynch would need a strong 2025 draft to ensure San Francisco doesn’t fall far behind NFC powerhouses like the Philadelphia Eagles and the LA Rams.

What are San Francisco 49ers' biggest needs in the 2025 NFL Draft?

The 49ers' defensive line is in shambles with Leonard Floyd's and Javon Hargrave's departure. The Bay Area team also needs to get Nick Bosa a partner on the edge. One of the other big needs is on the offensive line, which has been in a declining phase for the past couple of years, especially in the interior. A look at the contingency plan for Trent Williams might also play a factor in this draft. San Francisco needs to shore up trenches on both sides of the ball going into the draft.

#3 Cornerback/Linebacker

Losing Dre Greenlaw might not be seen as a big subtraction, but how middling the 49ers' defense looked without him for one half of the last season says a lot about the value he brought to the squad. The secondary, which lost Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, and Isaac Yiadom, lacks depth behind Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir.

#2 Offensive Line

None of the starting offensive linemen on the squad, except Trent Williams and Dominik Puni (80.5 PFF grade), had a PFF grade over 75 in the 2024 season, with center Jake Brendel receiving the lowest among them (65.0 PFF grade). The 49ers had called Miles Frazier and Kelvin Banks for pre-draft visits, according to A to Z Sports.

#1 Defensive Line

John Lynch has football gods to thank for the way everything is aligning for him and the 49ers. The same year, San Fran lost a plethora of defensive linemen, a draft class comes where defensive linemen are viewed as the deepest position by many. According to The Athletic, one of the defensive line coaches said that as many as a dozen can go in the first round. If played the cards right, the 49ers can come out with a fully rebuilt defensive line from this draft class, same as what their divisional rivals, the Rams, did in 2024.

Other NFL Team Needs in 2025 Draft -

FAQs on San Francisco 49ers Team Needs

A. Brock Purdy is the starting quarterback for San Francisco 49ers. 

A. The San Francisco 49ers are owned by the York family. 

A. The San Francisco 49ers is picking 11th overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. 

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