5 burning questions for 49ers roster after NFL Draft

The 49ers wrapped up the 2024 Draft and offseason having acquired an abundance of depth at receiver, defensive back and interior offensive line. But there are still some lingering questions about spots left unaddressed and how all the new pieces fit in.

Here are five questions for San Francisco to answer, ideally, before the start of the season.

How are they going to get better against the run at defensive tackle?

This could also be phrased as: How confident are you in an undrafted nose tackle out of Florida Atlantic University, or Kalia Davis, who has played three games in two seasons?

The 49ers allowed 109 yards rushing or more in six of the final seven games of the season, 130-plus rushing yards in each of their three playoff games. They ebbed and flowed throughout the season, but it was an evident weakness.

In short, the 49ers' defensive line is still weak, and likely weaker on the interior as far as run defense is concerned. Arik Armstead was the 49ers' best run defending interior defensive lineman, and that should not be mistaken to say he was elite there.

Both Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins bring pass-rushing potency if healthy. The former has played 138 games. The latter has played 124. They have some tread on those tires. They can play the run well at times, but they're often going to be asked to fire off the ball rather than eat up space.

Behind them are Kevin Givens, who is a solid rotational piece, but not an excellent run defender, and Jordan Elliott, the two-year, $7 million ($1.4 million in a 2025 void year) signing the 49ers made from the Browns, where he was an often out-of-favor piece with inconsistent tape.

These are all below-average run defenders.

So, the 49ers spent $280,000 in guaranteed money on FAU's Evan Anderson, a monumentally large defensive tackle who showed a bit more athleticism after dropping 40 pounds at school, but who is firmly viewed as a gap plugger. That level of guaranteed money is an indicator the 49ers think he could make the roster as their desperately-needed gap-plugger.

They had long hoped Davis could reprise the role taken by D.J. Jones, and this will be his best and perhaps last chance to show he's capable after two seasons derailed by injuries. This is a position where there might be a wide-open competition for a fourth or fifth spot.

Is their TE2 on the roster?

Kyle Shanahan admitted after the draft that he would have liked to get a tight end, but the board didn't fall the 49ers' way. Kansas State's Ben Sinnott went in the second round. Illinois' Tip Reiman went early in the third. Iowa's Erick All went in the early fourth. And the Texans traded up a spot in front of the 49ers in the fouth to select Ohio State's Cade Stover.

There weren't an abundance of excellent options outside of those guys. So, the 49ers didn't pick up a tight end in the draft. But now they have a depth chart at tight end of George Kittle and... hmm.

They drafted Alabama's Cam Latu in the third round last year, a pick I found confounding, and graded as a sixth-to-seventh-round pick. He tested well enough, with above average speed, shuttle testing, and a strong broad jump at 10 feet. But he looked like an upright, weak blocker, and a decent, but not thrilling receiving target. He dropped almost everything that came his way in training camp, and then went on PUP with meniscus surgery. Here's Kyle Shanahan's answer on if he's the 49ers' TE2:

"No," Shanahan said. "We look at all the tight ends. He hasn't been out here yet. We like guys to practice first."

Ok, then. The likeliest option is Eric Saubert, a career backup who last played for the Houston Texans, and who has played for the Falcons, Bears, Jaguars, Broncos and Cowboys. He is a blocking tight end with 36 career receptions for 292 yards and a couple touchdowns.

What about Brayden Willis? Willis showed some flashes in training camp with receiving potential, and became the team's TE3 over Ross Dwelley, so he might have a chance. But he hasn't proven anything, yet.

Then there's Jake Tonges, likely a training camp body, who was on the practice squad last season. He has one career target with the Bears in 2022.

Then you've got undrafted free agent Mason Pline out of Furman, a wildly interesting project. The 6-foot-7-inch tall tight end played three years of basketball at Ferris State, then a couple years there of football. He graduated, then played one year at Furman, where he had 32 catches for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns.

He is a fluid mover with great ball skills. In a word, he's a lob threat. No one is going to catch a ball over him in the red zone. But can he block? Can he compete in an NFL setting? We'll find out soon enough.

The one thing the 49ers have to their advantage is that Jauan Jennings is basically a tight end. He blocks like a maniac and has the height for a tight end. But if Kittle gets hurt, you still need a true tight end to slot in there. Maybe they give Kittle's cousin, Robert Tonyan, a call? Given the uncertainty at tight end, that might be a wise investment.

Who starts at right guard, and can anyone push Jake Brendel?

Usually, watching the 49ers' undrafted offensive line signings is an exercise in convincing yourself a guy, maybe, perhaps, possibly could be something. It's a bunch of beat writers walking each other through their mirages, encouraging one another to bask in the grandeur of their delusion. "Join me, join me," they say, as they point you to a practice squad player who will play three career games, if he's lucky.

This year feels different.

The 49ers identified that one of the main reasons they lost in the Super Bowl were protection breakdowns, especially at right guard. As it stood, their production wasn't good enough. Jon Feliciano is a great rotational backup, but Spencer Burford just lacked any consistency. He would make mistakes, lose footing, and have more head-scratching plays than confidence-inspiring ones.

This isn't me lashing out at Burford. The 49ers drafted Dominick Puni, who is going to compete with him immediately at right guard. Feliciano will probably be in the mix, too, but the 49ers know exactly what he offers.

The depth they added on the interior is extremely intriguing. Jarret Kingston could play at guard or center, and their two undrafted center prospects, in Michigan's Drake Nugent, and Southern Mississippi's Briayson Mays, are both athletic.

Those two offensive line draft picks and two undrafted free agents all ran sub-4.47-second shuttle times (of which Jake Brendel, an undrafted free agent, also possesses), which is a sneaky strong indicator of future NFL success given that it shows lateral quickness and burst.

San Francisco asks too much of its centers to reasonably have anyone beat out Brendel in camp. But is it possible that one of that group could push him over the course of the season, and maybe win that job? The 49ers bet on the requisite athleticism, more than they've had in past years. That's a *Sam Richardson voice* crop! That's a big crop!

What will Isaac Guerendo's role be?

The 49ers did the thing again. They traded up into the fourth round to draft a running back. Your nightmare cries of Joe Williams and Trey Sermon and Ty Davis-Price have been unanswered, and raised again, in the form of Isaac Guerendo.

Guerendo, at least, is a 99th percentile athlete. He's got great size, top-tier speed, and if he learns from Christian McCaffrey and legendary running backs coach Bobby Turner, he should grow into the position. He is a far less natural player of the position than undrafted free agent Cody Schrader (who has poor athleticism), which shows up consistently on tape when you watch the two.

So the question becomes, how do you use Guerendo, a track athlete? Kickoff returns are an extremely appealing option, especially with the rate of return likely to skyrocket with the new rules.

His receiving ability is actually a bit more appealing at the moment than his ability as a true running back. But does he figure it out in camp, and the 49ers make him their RB2? Is his speed so dynamic that they cross-train him in other roles, and put him on the field at the same time as Christian McCaffrey?

Or does he struggle a bit and become the team's third-string running back, and fail to see that much of the field? He has a wide range of scenarios, which is perhaps why you worry about the 49ers trading up to go get a running back.

The upside, even if it doesn't manifest on the field, is that they have immediate, athletic upside, and a guy to take some of the pressure of Christian McCaffrey, especially with Elijah Mitchell unreliable, and Jordan Mason more of a physical back. But you would hope Guerendo could grow into more than just a stash back this season.

How will they use Ricky Pearsall, and do they keep everyone?

This is the biggest question people have over the selection of Ricky Pearsall. With Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings all cemented on the roster, how much opportunity will their be for Pearsall to make an impact?

These are fair questions. If Pearsall has a miniscule role this season, it's a head-scratching pick in the sense that the 49ers are competing for a Super Bowl, even if he blooms into a star in year two, which will be important.

In my view, Deebo Samuel will likely be traded or cut next offseason for substantial cap savings, but the 49ers will extend Brandon Aiyuk. They will likely lose Jauan Jennings, too. But it doesn't help them now to deal any of those guys.

Here's the thing about this season and Pearsall. Take Pearsall's punt-returning potential out of the equation (Jacob Cowing and Trent Taylor will likely both compete for that spot, too). Deebo Samuel frequently gets hurt, and he takes on more of a load when Christian McCaffrey gets hurt.

Both of those guys were dealing with injuries going into the Super Bowl, and struggled in that game. Samuel could not separate from man coverage. Trent McDuffie, the real MVP of that game, had him locked up.

The offense relies so much on those two players from a fundamental standpoint. Pearsall provides a monument relief if they get hurt from a receiving standpoint, and he is immediately a better man coverage beater, and true receiver than Samuel (one of the five most dynamic players in the league, when healthy).

While the 49ers typically train receivers at one position, they view Pearsall as a heady, intelligent receiver with top-tier route running craft and understanding of the position. To me, this suggests he will be trained (much like Chris Conley and Ray-Ray McCloud) at all of those positions, though I expect him to be used most frequently at Samuel's Z position, and in the slot.

The wear-and-tear Samuel takes is the main thing that hurts him, and there's a strong argument to be made that the 49ers should load manage him. With Pearsall, they can do that. They can have a rotation in which he's playing, say, 20-30 snaps per game at a variety of positions. And if the 49ers spread the offense out a bit more, as they did in the Super Bowl, they'll need Pearsall as more than just a luxury.