NFL mock draft 2023: 49ers' picks per experts' seven-round projections
NFL mock draft: Experts project all of 49ers' 2023 picks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
With the 49ers' picks in the 2023 NFL Draft coming in the next few days, there is plenty of speculation on what San Francisco will do with its 11 selections. Will the organization trade any of them or keep them in order to set itself up for next season and beyond?
Or will the 49ers trade quarterback Trey Lance to a team in need of a young signal-caller, amid recent trade speculation that San Francisco has fielded calls for the 22-year-old?
The 49ers enter the draft without picks in the first or second rounds due to the trades for Lance and running back Christian McCaffrey, but they do possess three third-round picks. So they will be quiet early in the draft, but general manager John Lynch will be busy in the later rounds.
Only time will tell what will happen with the draft. For the time being, however, here's how experts foresee the 2023 NFL Draft shaking out for the 49ers.
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
No. 99 -- Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
No. 101 -- Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
No. 102 -- Jartavius Martin, CB, Illinois
No. 155 -- Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
No. 163 -- Marte Mapu, DB, Sacramento State
No. 173 -- Colby Sorsdal, OG, William & Marr
No. 216 -- Elijah Higgins, TE, Stanford
No. 222 -- Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
No. 247 -- Lonnie Phelps, EDGE, Kansas
No. 253 -- Jalen Moreno-Cropper, WR, Fresno State
No. 255 -- Ben VanSumeren, LB, Michigan State
(No descriptions)
Matt Miller, ESPN
No. 99 -- Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State
“With the team's first pick of the 2023 draft (and first of three at the end of Round 3), the 49ers can look to replace the departed Jimmie Ward by adding a versatile 5-11 safety. Brown collected 10 interceptions in the past two seasons and could play over the slot immediately.”
No. 101 -- Carter Warren, OT, Pittsburgh
“Right tackle is a position of need heading into the draft, and Warren has been a hot name among scouts at that spot despite playing primarily on the left side in college. The 6-5, 311-pound redshirt senior started the past four years at Pitt but missed the final eight games of 2022 with an injury. With excellent size and length, Warren has shown the mobility needed to excel in the 49ers' zone run scheme.”
No. 102 -- Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State
“Tight end might be a surprise target, but the 49ers did more work on that position than any team I spoke with in this pre-draft process and are clearly thinking about adding a potential future replacement for George Kittle. Strange doesn't wow you with speed but is versatile tight end and has toughness both as a blocker and middle-of-the-field receiver.”
No. 155 -- Lonnie Phelps, EDGE, Kansas
No. 164 -- Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn
No. 173 -- Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
No. 216 -- Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
No. 222 -- Puka Nacua, WR, BYU
No. 247 -- Isaiah Bolder, CB, Jackson State
No. 253 -- Alan Ali, C, TCU
No. 255 -- Trevon Flowers, S, Tennessee
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
No. 99 -- Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
No. 101 -- Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
No. 102 -- Marte Mapu, DB, Sacramento State
"A torn pec kept Mapu from working out prior to the draft, but the non-combine prospect still has a decent chance of hearing his name called on Day 2. His ability to cover and play the run as a nickel linebacker would be a great fit in the 49ers' scheme."
No. 155 -- Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
No. 164 -- Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty
No. 173 -- Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
No. 216 -- Chad Ryland, K, Maryland
No. 222 -- Dante Stills, DT, West Virginia
No. 247 -- Ty Okada, S, Montana State
"Okada has been one of the late risers in the process, and he absolutely blew up his pro-day testing. A nickel safety who can fill multiple roles, he has heard from numerous NFL teams, including the 49ers."
No. 253 -- Arquon Bush, CB, Cincinnati
No. 255 -- Justin Shorter, WR, Florida
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
TRADE: San Francisco 49ers receive pick 89. Tampa Bay Buccaneers receive pick 99.
No. 89 -- Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
No. 101 -- Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
No. 102 -- Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
No. 155 -- John Ojukwu, OT, Boise State
TRADE: San Francisco 49ers receive pick 159. Detroit Lions receive picks 164, 222
No. 159 -- Braeden Daniels, OL, Utah
No. 173 -- Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty
No. 216 -- Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
No. 247 -- Xavier Henderson, S, Michigan State
No. 253 -- Earl Bostick, OT, Kansas
No. 255 -- Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
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Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
No. 99 -- Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
"Brents is a physical aggressive cover man who can help the 49ers replace free-agent departure Emmanuel Moseley."
No. 101 -- Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
"The 49ers have like Reed as a complement to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyk as reliable inside possession man with some underrated big-play juice."
No. 102 -- Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
"The 49ers need to replenish their defensive line rotation and can tap into Javon Kinlaw's former program for a rare athlete for the position."
No. 155 -- Viliami Fehoko, EDGE, San Jose State
No. 164 -- Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State
No. 173 -- Spencer Anderson, OT, Maryland
No. 216 -- Keaton Mitchell, RB, East Carolina
No. 222 -- Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA
No. 247 -- Terll Smith, CB, Minnesota
No. 253 -- DeMarco Hellams, S, Alabama
No. 255 -- Connor Galvin, OT, Baylor
RELATED: NFL mock draft: Experts project 49ers' three third-round picks
Gordon McGuinness, PFF
No. 99 -- Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
"If there's a weakness on the 49ers' defense right now, it's at cornerback. Jones is coming off a season in which he allowed just 10 catches for 94 yards from 19 targets on 278 coverage snaps."
No. 101 -- Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
"Boutte once looked like a first-round prospect but could find that even this is higher than he eventually hears his name called on draft weekend. In drafting him here, the 49ers hope he can get back to the productivity we saw in his first two seasons at LSU."
No. 102 -- Jobie Turner, DL, Wake Forest
"A value pick based on the PFF big board, this was just too good a player to turn down at this position. Turner is coming off a season during which he posted a 93.1 PFF run-defense grade and an 88.8 pass-rushing grade."
No. 155 -- Starling Thomas V, CB, UAB
"Thomas is one of the fastest cornerbacks in the draft class, and his tape shows more than just speed. He allowed only 22 catches on 58 targets for 257 yards this past fall."
No. 164 -- Jaxson Kirkland, OG, Washington
“There are too many limitations to Kirkland's game to get too excited, but he still has a path to a starting role on a shaky 49ers offensive line outside of Trent Williams."
No. 173 -- Brodric Martin, Dl, Western Kentucky
“Martin is a poor man's Jordan Davis in that he's a towering 6-foot-5, 337-pound nose tackle with uber-long arms. He showed improvement as a bull rusher this past fall with 23 pressures after notching only 17 in his career prior."
No. 216 -- Brenton Cox Jr., EDGE, Florida
No. 222 -- Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
No. 247 -- Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Kentucky
No. 253 -- Isaiah Land, EDGE, Florida A&M