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49ers Pick Oregon Defensive Tackle Derrick Harmon in New Mock Draft

The 49ers almost never draft the best player available in Round 1.
Grant Cohn|
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (55) reacts in the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Derrick Harmon (55) reacts in the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers almost never draft the best player available in Round 1.

They usually draft for need. And this year, they need a defensive tackle to replace Javon Hargrave whom they will release.

That's why the Pro Football Network projects the 49ers to take Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with pick no. 11 in this year's NFL Draft.

"With the news that the 49ers intend on releasing Javon Hargrave, it wouldn’t be surprising if they target the interior defensive line with one of their early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft," writes PFN analyst Jacob Infante. "The comparisons to make between Harmon and former 49ers first-round pick DeForest Buckner are easy. Both are lengthy, athletic Oregon defensive tackles with quick hands and tremendous pass-rushing value along the interior. Though Buckner graded out slightly higher against the run for me coming out than Harmon does, it’s not inconceivable to think the latter can’t also reach Pro Bowl status at some point in his career."

I see Infante's logic. The 49ers certainly have had success drafting Oregon defensive tackles in Round 1 -- see DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead. But Harmon would be a major reach. He's a pass-rushing specialist who recorded just 8.5 sacks in four seasons of college football. Buckner recorded 10.5 sacks in his final season at Oregon, and Armstead was an elite run defender.

The 49ers don't get to draft in the top 15 often -- they need to make sure they take the best player available no matter what position he plays. Because the best player available could be a future Hall of Famer.

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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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