49ers Take D-Tackle in Round 2 of Mel Kiper Jr.'s New NFL Mock Draft

This would be a great pick.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch celebrates following a victory against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

This would be a great pick.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. just released his latest NFL mock draft nearly two weeks before the actual NFL Draft. And in Round 1, he projects the 49ers to take Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who would be the first cornerback the 49ers have drafted with a top-15 pick since Ronnie Lott in 1981.

In Round 2, Kiper Jr. projects the 49ers to take another player from Michigan -- defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

I love this pick.

Frankly, I wouldn't mind if the 49ers were to take Grant in Round 1. I like him better than Johnson and most of the defensive tackles that are projected to get drafted early. He's an elite run defender and an elite athlete who has the potential to develop into an elite interior pass rusher like Dexter Lawrence.

Most importantly, Grant fits the 49ers' Wide 9 defensive front. He's huge, so he commands double teams and holds his ground against them, which is critical to stopping the run in the 49ers' defensive scheme. The past two seasons, they had Javon Hargrave who's a good one-on-one pass rusher but a terrible run defender in the Wide 9. Now he's on the Vikings.

I would not be surprised if the 49ers drafted the best available defensive tackle in Round 2 because the position is extremely deep in this year's draft. And it's unclear who the best one is. For all we know, the best defensive tackle could get drafted in Round 2 or even 3.