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Why the 49ers Probably will Draft Georgia LB Jalon Walker

As an edge rusher, he's extremely fast and explosive. And he's a natural leader.
Grant Cohn|
Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) celebrates after tackling TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) celebrates after tackling TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

Since Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch joined the 49ers in 2017, they've drafted one good pass rusher: Nick Bosa. And he was the second pick in 2019.

Every time the 49ers have drafted a pass-rusher after Round 1, that player has failed. Think Drake Jackson and Robert Beal Jr. The 49ers unsuccessfully have tried to find diamonds in the rough. And now they desperately need another pass rusher to complement Nick Bosa. So you can bet the 49ers will draft that player in Round 1.

The same year the 49ers drafted Bosa, they traded a second-round pick for Dee Ford, who was a converted 3-4 outside linebacker with the quickest first step of any NFL edge rusher at the time. The 49ers defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh, coveted that skill set opposite Bosa, and I assume he still does.

That's why I expect the 49ers to draft a speed rusher with the 11th pick this year. Someone similar to Ford when he was young.

Marshall's Mike Green fits the mold athletically, but he has two troubling accusations in his past that could compel the 49ers to look elsewhere.

Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. also fits the bill, but there have been reports of character concerns with him as well.

Which means Georgia's Jalon Walker could be the top player on the 49ers' wish list. As an edge rusher, he's extremely fast and explosive. And he's a natural leader. He seems like the kind of person that Saleh in particular will love.

Don't be surprised if the 49ers trade up a few spots for Walker if they feel they have to.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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