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49ers Take Michigan Cornerback Will Johnson in Latest Mock Draft

For the first time in years, the 49ers have needs all over their roster.
Grant Cohn|
Aug 31, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive back Will Johnson (2) runs the ball after he makes an interception in the second half against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive back Will Johnson (2) runs the ball after he makes an interception in the second half against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

For the first time in years, the 49ers have needs all over their roster.

They're 6-9 and they lack depth on offense and defense. So they could justify spending their first-round pick on any number of positions, including quarterback. But a top-level quarterback most likely won't be available when the 49ers are on the clock.

Instead, the no. 1 cornerback in the draft, Michigan's Will Johnson, could fall the 49ers in Round 1.

"San Francisco's season from hell continued in Week 16, watching critical players on the offensive line go down amid the aging Trent Williams' injury-mired season," writes The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs. "But when a player like Will Johnson falls into your lap — never mind the fact that Charvarius Ward is in a contract year this season — you have to take him. Johnson has the size, physicality, and ball instincts to be an NFL star. His stature and coverage versatility would go a long way in helping the 49ers have coverage answers for physical wide receivers in the NFC West, such as Puka Nacua, DK Metcalf, and Marvin Harrison Jr. This is a true best player available selection, but it also just so happens to overlap with a looming need."

Johnson would be a phenomenal pick for the 49ers -- he seems like a generational talent. But it also seems unlikely that he will fall outside of the top 10. The 49ers currently are slotted to pick 11th, although they will draft higher if they lose their two remaining games, which is possible.

Cornerback probably isn't the 49ers' biggest need, but they can't pass up sure-fire Pro Bowlers, especially with their terrible history in Round 1.

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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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