The 49ers' 2024 NFL Draft class is in order. San Francisco made eight selections, along with three trades to give themselves plenty of experienced, athletic and versatile college players.
Grading the draft is largely an exercise in delusion. None of this guys have had an NFL practice, let alone taken a preseason snap. But what we can assess is value, fit, need, player quality, upside, downside the last of those being based on athleticism and tape.
This is my attempt at finding a logical grade for these picks, adjusting for the value of each pick, based on OverTheCap's pick value chart. Here's how each was valued
Round 1, Pick 31: 25.34%
Round 2, Pick 64: 17.94%
Round 3, Pick 86: 14.94%
Round 4, Pick 124: 11.20%
Round 4, Pick 129: 10.64%
Round 4, Pick 135: 10.34%
Round 6, Pick 215: 5.59%
Round 7, Pick 251 : 4.02%
The theme of this draft? Solid. Most of these players, with the exception of Jacob Cowing, and perhaps Isaac Guerendo, feel like very smart bets with high floors, and little downside.
My only real knock in this draft is that the 49ers had two tackles taken in front of them in the second round, and are putting quite a lot of faith in Jaylon Moore as their swing tackle. I don't quite share that faith.
They also did not address the interior of their defensive line until undrafted free agency, with bowling ball nose tackle Evan Anderson out of FAU, who they guaranteed $280,000 to. That's a sign they think he could be their backup nose.
Given the talent in this draft at defensive tackle, I think they should've addressed that. Instead of drafting Jacob Cowing, I think they should've traded back and moved for a defensive tackle like Tyler Davis out of Clemson (Rams, Pick 196) or Jaden Crumedy out of Mississippi State) Panthers, Pick 200), and/or taken one of two EDGE prospects, in either Mohamed Kamara (Dolphins, Pick 158) or Brennan Jackson (Rams, Pick 154). They also could've taken Duke defensive tackle Dewayne Carter instead of Puni, though Puni is a sound choice.
Their edge depth is better than their defensive tackle depth, and the 49ers' brass identified this weak edge class as a reason to sign Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos, so the decision not to take an edge is hard to criticize too harshly. It was a mess of a class.
They also failed to acquire a tight end, though the last good option they had, Cade Stover, went one spot before Malik Mustapha at 123. The Texans traded up for him, and you could argue the 49ers should've done the same. They signed a spin of the roulette wheel in former basketball player and Furman alum Mason Pline in undrafted free agency. The double-dip on wide receiver, failure to get a clear tackle, or draft a defensive tackle, makes me knock the 89.1 grade I landed with by a point.
2024 DRAFT GRADE: B+, 88.1
Round 1, Pick 31
Ricky Pearsall: A, 94
Value: B, 21/25
Fit: A+ 25/25
Need: B+, 22/25
Quality: A+, 25/25
Upside: A, 24/25
Downside: A, 24/25
TOTAL: 141/150
Pearsall was my fifth-graded receiver in the class, behind the top three, and Brian Thomas Jr. He can do absolutely everything at a high level, and has elite athleticism in every facet of his game.
His route-running polish and ability to separate is absurd. His short arms are compensated for by sticky hands and outstanding catch radius due to his leaping and fearlessness against contact, along with a next-to-none ability to track the ball. His quarterbacks put him in heinous positions at Florida, which explains his good-but-not-great production. The question with him is whether he’ll be able to play through contact well, but his traits suggest he’ll figure that out.
I don't care all that much about the awkwardness with Deebo Samuel, who the 49ers will likely jettison next offseason. They should pay Brandon Aiyuk and be done with it. Either way, Pearsall lets the 49ers rotate Samuel out a bit more, protects them for next offseason, and is a far more talented option against man coverage than Samuel is. Samuel (who was not fully healthy) being locked up by Trent McDuffie is a major reason they lost the Super Bowl.
The 49ers probably wouldn't have been able to get Pearsall in a trade down, based on the reactions from front offices around the league. But he was drafted a bit higher than expected, especially with Cooper DeJean and Jer’Zhawn Newton (big man, foot injury, big worry) both on the board. That said, he's well worth the selection.
Round 2, Pick 64 (traded 63 + 211 to Chiefs for 64+ 173)
Renardo Green: A-, 92
Value: C, 19/25
Fit: A+, 25/25
Need: A+, 25/25
Quality: A, 24/25
Upside: A+, 25/25
Downside: B-, 20/25
TOTAL: 138/150
This guy can start at outside corner on Day 1. I don’t understand the desire to move Deommodore Lenoir out of the slot. He is downright elite there, and Green has all the length, craft, and toughness to play outside.
He should compete for a starting role outside. The only knock here is that he perhaps could’ve been drafted later, and came a pick after the Ravens poached Washington right tackle Roger Rosengarten, and the 49ers traded down a slot, giving the Chiefs BYU tackle Kingsley Suamataia.
At the end of the day, both of those guys had far more concerns than I do for Green. Rosengarten would’ve had to add weight and strength to his lower half that might take two offseasons, and Suamataia is a total project. Green is going to have a Day 1 role for the 49ers, whether that’s at nickel or outside, or special teams.
Round 3, Pick 86 (traded 93 + 132 to Eagles)
Dominick Puni, OL, Kansas: B, 84.7
Value: C, 19/25
Fit: B, 21/25
Need: A+, 25/25
Quality: B-, 20/25
Upside: B-, 20/25
Downside: B+, 22/25
TOTAL: 127/150
Puni was an interesting addition, with some folks very high on him. What he does provide is major versatility at every position on the offensive line. He has the length and strength to pummel people into the ground in the run game when he gets moving.
He’s also relatively stout in the pass game, allowing zero sacks over the past two seasons. He has a tendency to get a bit too tall, and out-leveraged at times, but he recovers well with his hands. He should be solid, I just don’t have a strong feeling about his upside, given the lack of top-tier athletic traits, and non-domineering pass pro on film. He feels high floor, medium ceiling, which, given the trade up to get him, is a slight knock for me.
That said, Puni should contribute from the jump. He also ran a 4.40-second short-shuttle, which is a sneaky good indicator of NFL success, per Josh Norris. Puni and Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini (a center prospect I loved, who I mocked to the 49ers at 117, and was taken by the Colts at 117) were two of six offensive linemen to run a sub-4.47-second short shuttle. It’s an indicator of movement ability, and has manifested in plenty of NFL starts.
The 49ers also got Jarrett Kingston from that list, and signed undrafted Michigan center Drake Nugent, who didn’t complete agility testing until his Pro Day. The 49ers’ current center, Jake Brendel, as also undrafted, and on that list above. That mobility is encouraging for Puni.
Round 4, Pick 124
Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest: A, 98
Value: A+, 25/25
Fit: A+, 25/25
Need: A, 24/25
Quality: A+, 25/25
Upside: A+, 25/25
Downside: A-, 23/25
TOTAL: 147/150
Mustapha is the 49ers' best pick of the draft, and the second-best safety prospect behind Georgia’s Javon Bullard, who went in the second round. There’s a reason Kyle Shanahan said everyone in the draft room loved him. There’s almost nothing to dislike, even though the Texans hopped up one slot before to take Ohio State tight end Cade Stover.
The Wake Forest safety is short, but a wide-built, muscled-up prospect who comes downhill like a bat out of hell to demolish anything and everything around the line of scrimmage with excellent tackling form. He has shown top-tier athleticism in every facet, and possesses the range to play center field if he’s asked.
His coverage ability is a question mark, but his instincts and speed show that when he recognizes a corner needs help, he gets there, and quickly. He gives the 49ers an outrageously fun safety group between him, Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga. There is not a thing to legitimately knock about this pick.
Round 4, Pick 129 (traded 173+176 for 129)
Isaac Guerendo, RB, Wisconsin: B, 84
Value: C-, 18/25
Fit: A, 24/25
Need: C, 19/25
Quality: B+, 22/25
Upside: A+, 25/25
Downside: C-, 18/25
TOTAL: 126/150
Guerendo’s downside should be stated first, because his upside is monstrous. The 49ers traded up into the fourth round to get him, and have a tragic history of drafting running backs in the third and fourth rounds (Joe Williams, Trey Sermon, Ty Davis-Price). Guerendo had limited college production largely due to hamstring and foot injuries his first three seasons, before transferring to Louisville. Louisville’s poor offensive line play also didn’t help his production.
He is not at all the most natural runner in the draft, and certainly needs some work to be more aggressive with his first step.
That said, Bobby Turner will be coaching him, and this is the 21st-most athletic running back prospect ever, and the most athletic in this draft. He has great size, outrageous speed, and profiles as someone who could step right and perhaps steal Elijah Mitchell’s job. He has a solid receiving floor, too.
If all goes well, the 49ers bought themselves a fantastic insurance policy for Christian McCaffrey getting hurt. But they paid to trade up for a running back who needs some rounding at the edges, and that’s worth asking questions about, especially with a ton of fits later in the draft at running back.
Round 4, Pick 135
Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona: C+, 79.3
Value: B-, 20/25
Fit: B-, 20/25
Need: C, 19/25
Quality: B+, 22/25
Upside: A, 24/25
Downside: F, 14/25
TOTAL: 119/150
This is the player I have the most question marks about in this draft. He profiles as a potential punt returner and slot weapon who can take the top off a defense and provide a steady underneath target on shallow crossers.
He has a stunningly similar athletic profile to Tank Dell, and great college production. But I have questions about his lateral agility and size. You could have also made a case for a number of other positions at this juncture that were a bit more pressing. If it works out, the 49ers can let Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings go next season, with Pearsall and Cowing taking each of their roles, respectively.
Round 6, Pick 215
Jarrett Kingston, OL, USC: A, 94
Value: A, 24/25
Fit: A, 24/25
Need: A, 24/25
Quality: B+, 22/25
Upside: A+, 25/25
Downside: B, 22/25
TOTAL: 141/150
This late in the draft, finding an absolute top-tier athlete like Kingston at a position of need is a monumental win. He possesses that sub-4.47 shuttle we talked about, and can absolutely get moving.
My only criticism here was that Arkansas’ Beaux Limmer was on the board, and went to the Rams two picks later. He had a bit of a higher pedigree, but the 49ers feel that Kingston is a better fit for their scheme, and had him graded higher than Limmer, though they were close on their board.
Kingston’s lack of length shows up on film, but his arms were actually longer than Limmer’s, and he tested better at the shuttle, so I have no issue. If there’s anyone at fault, it’s Lincoln Riley and USC football’s fault for having a disaster of a program and operating with heinous splits. The defense was a joke, but so was the offense. If they weren’t, Kingston probably would’ve been a fourth-round pick.
Round 7, Pick 251
Tatum Bethune, LB, FSU: B+, 87.3
Value: A, 24/25
Fit: A-, 23/25
Need: A-, 23/25
Quality: B, 21/25
Upside: A, 24/25
Downside: D, 16/25
TOTAL: 131/150
Bethune shows better-than-his-testing ability to flip his hips and run with receivers. He also doesn’t look as small as he tested, packing a major punch above his size. He was a leader on Florida State’s elite defense and seems to have a mentality the 49ers love. He was mauled by Duke’s Graham Barton, who, to be fair, was the best interior offensive lineman in this class. Given his lack of height, he sometimes makes the wrong read at a ball-carrier with a second-level lineman coming his way.
But he shows a commitment to getting around blocks, in the sense that some players get pushed away, and sort of let it happen. Bethune doesn’t. He constantly fights and bends to get around blockers.
The downside with him is that the linebacker competition will be a difficult one, and I’m not quite sure he will have the gunner-like speed to be a great special teams fit, which is his strongest avenue to making the team. Still, he could be trained behind Fred Warner, where there’s not a clear backup aside from De’Vondre Campbell, given that Dre Greenlaw’s return is months upon months away.
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