49ers Land Versatile DL Prospect in Latest NFL Mock Draft

It's no secret the 49ers love spending top picks on defensive linemen.

The 49ers have a first-round pick this year for the first time since 2021, when they took Trey Lance. The year before that, they drafted Javon Kinlaw with their first pick. And the year before that, they drafted Nick Bosa with their first pick.

It's no secret the 49ers love spending top picks on defensive linemen. This year, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein expects them to draft another one -- Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson.

"Robinson has the potential to play as an early-down base end before reducing inside on throwing downs," writes Zierleion, "thus allowing the newly acquired Leonard Floyd to get after the quarterback as a designated pass rusher."

TRANSLATION: Robinson will replace Arik Armstead, who was a cap casualty this offseason. The 49ers need someone who can replace Armstead's ability to stop the run and collapse the pocket, and Robinson could be that guy.

But the 49ers already signed Yetur Gross-Matos to a two-year, $18 million deal to fill that exact role. In addition, the 49ers traded a seventh-round pick for Maliek Collins, who will earn roughly $8.5 million this year and $10 million next year. The 49ers aren't spending all that money to not play those veterans. So if the 49ers draft Robinson, he most likely would have to sit for a year or two unless there's an injury.

The 49ers added four defensive linemen in free agency. As much as they love that position, I'm guessing they'll address something else in Round 1. They have much bigger needs.