Decision time has nearly arrived for the San Francisco 49ers.
The NFL Draft is a particularly exciting occasion for the 49ers this year, because their offseason has mostly been marked by departures so far. After watching their stars sign elsewhere in free agency, San Francisco can finally start rebuilding their roster.
With the 11th overall pick, the 49ers seem likely to upgrade one of the lines. But will they go offense, in search of a future replacement at left tackle for veteran Trent Williams, or will they go defense, where they’ve lost a majority of their 2024 Week 1 starters?
One 49ers insider believes the 49ers will go with the latter, but rather than taking an edge-rusher, he’s projecting a major addition between the tackles.
On Thursday, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area predicted that the 49ers would select Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen with the 11th overall pick, strengthening the defensive interior after cutting Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins.
“After releasing Hargrave and Collins in cap-slashing moves, the 49ers’ biggest need is at defensive tackle,” Maiocco wrote.
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“Nolen is a three-down interior lineman who can bring some juice to the pass rush on third downs. His ability to get off at the snap of the ball is what 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek emphasizes with his D-linemen.”
The 21-year-old Nolen racked up 6.5 sacks from the interior this season, no small feat at any level, especially the SEC. He’s 6-foot-4, 296 pounds, and demonstrates impressive speed and body control for an athlete of his size.
Most mocks have Nolen going somewhere between the 25th pick and the 31st, so it would be a fairly big surprise in this author’s eyes to see him come off the board at 11. But if the 49ers are committed to beefing up the interior, he could be their best bet.
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