Albert Breer Says 49ers Should Draft Defensive Tackle in Round 1

No wonder the 49ers want to trade down.

Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; American team offensive lineman Miles Frazier of LSU (70) spars with American team defensive lineman Walter Nolen of Ole Miss (2) during Senior Bowl practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The 49ers could go a number of different directions with their first-round pick this year.

They have so many needs, it's hard to decide which one is their biggest. They just gutted their roster and let nine starters walk in free agency. They're not saying they're rebuilding, but they probably know their Super Bowl window is closed for now.

That's why Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks the 49ers should take a foundational player with the 11th pick -- Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.

"Depending on what’s available—and in particular if one of the top three tackles makes it here—finding a successor for Trent Williams who could play somewhere else on the offensive line for the time being would seem ideal," writes Breer.

"But Kyle Shanahan’s always shown a willingness to make it work with less along his offensive front, believing in his own ability to manage that, and Kris Kocurek’s defensive line is losing Leonard Floyd, Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins. One player who’s seen as a particular good fit for their attacking scheme, with Robert Saleh back aboard, is Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen. This would be a bit of a reach, but if they’re O.K. with the football makeup questions (he’s seen as a bit entitled but has done well in his meetings), Nolen is certainly worthy, talent-wise, of going in the same neighborhood as Graham."

Nolen certainly would be a bit of a reach, so it makes sense that they're looking to trade down according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

If the 49ers take a defensive tackle in Round 1, Oregon's Derrick Harmon would be a better choice. Statistically, he's a better pass-rusher than Nolen with a superior pass-rush win rate in college. Harmon is taller and nearly 20 pounds heavier than Nolen, which makes Harmon a better fit to defend in the run in the 49ers' Wide 9 defensive front.