The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers don’t have a ton of needs on either side of the ball after nearly winning the Super Bowl a season ago.
With that said, there are specific areas for general manager John Lynch and Co. to address. This includes offensive tackle, guard, center, edge pass rusher, linebacker and potentially cornerback. Depth at tight end and safety could also be seen as needs.
It’s going to be interesting to see what San Francisco does in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday. It is slated to select No. 31 overall barring a trade up or down the board.
The backdrop here are continued rumors about these 49ers potentially trading star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk during the draft as the two sides continue to struggle through contract extension talks.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah provided his final mock of the 2024 draft. In it, he has Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy going to San Francisco.
“This is my favorite fit in the first round. We saw what Tank Dell did in a similar offensive system with Houston, and we know what Mike McDaniel has been able to build with so much speed at receiver in Miami. Worthy gives Kyle Shanahan a similar weapon.”
Mock draft projecting Xavier Worthy to the San Francisco 49ers
The interesting thing here is that Jeremiah is not predicting Aiyuk to be traded. Rather, San Francisco would theoretically add Worthy to the mix with the star wide receiver and Deebo Samuel to provide Brock Purdy with another potentially elite weapon at this position.
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The 6-foot-1 Worthy would certainly be an interesting option for San Francisco at 31. Instead of going need with its first-round pick, the 49ers would be making a luxury selection.
Worthy caught 197 passes for 2,755 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons with the Longhorns. Without a doubt, he’d be a fit in San Francisco.
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