Who Will the 49ers Take With the 11th Pick in the NFL Draft?

Who the 49ers pick at 11 is cloudy and that’s just the way they want it - no team wants to be predictable heading into the draft. The national draft take I agree with is this draft has nine solid talents in the first round and then falls into an eye-of-the-beholder section that stretches from 10 to 25.

TRADE UP

Armand Membou (Missouri) OT – Membou is expected to be gone by 7, but if he falls past the Jets and is still on the board at 9, the Niners need to be on the phone with New Orleans to trade up. The cost would presumably be pick 100 at the end of the third. I pay that for Membou, but not for Jalon Walker or Tyler Warren.

TRADE DOWN

Well sure, but which team is willing to trade up, and for who? Unlikely at best. I think the first round will be light on draft-day trades. Teams can wait for a QB in the latter half of the first.

OFFENSE

QB, RB, WR, C, G – None of these positions should be considered at 11. The QBs are iffy and great backs after Ashton Jeanty are available in the 2nd and 3rd. The Niners took two WRs in last year’s draft and this year’s crop isn’t elite, a center or guard at 11 is terrible positional value.

Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) G/T – Rumors have Banks in consideration at 11. I think he is a guard in the NFL, many agree, including draft guru Dane Brugler. Waist bender, lunger, balance issues, short arms, recovery and hand placement problems, vulnerable to inside moves, an iffy knee. All of this makes Banks on an island at left tackle in the league an unnecessary risk. The rationale for Banks at 11 is to replace Trent Williams, but he’s not a left tackle in the league. Which makes drafting Banks at 11 a huge waste. Hard pass.

Tyler Warren (Penn State) TE – If he falls to 11, he’ll be in the mix. 17 red zone touchdowns in two years. However, the Jets like him at 7, the Saints at 9, and the Bears at 10.

Colston Loveland (Michigan) TE – This is the wild card no one has floated. Loveland is rated by some as a top ten overall talent, many have him above Warren, younger and faster. Kyle Shanahan appears to want a receiving TE as a complement and future replacement for George Kittle. Harold Fannin Jr. in for a 30 visit signals the intent. I don’t think they’ll take Loveland, but I do think they’ll consider him.

DEFENSE

LB, S – Jihaad Campbell would have been my pick at 11, until he had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. Now he may miss the defense install at camps and ESPN’s Mel Kiper thinks he may fall to the 2nd round. If so, I’d take him at 43. Campbell in my view will be an All-Pro down the road.

At safety, Nick Emmanwori was all-world at Indy, but the Niners need a free safety. Malaki Starks, not sold. I’d just as soon have Andrew Mukuba, Malachi Moore, or Kitan Crawford later in the draft.

Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) DT – High upside high traits penetrator with pass rush skills. I believe the Niners will look for two DT types in this draft, a penetrator/pass rusher and a run-stuffing boulder. Nolen has the talent to be an All-Pro but has years of coaching and body work to get there. He lacks contact balance and anchor power against double teams. Picking Nolen is trust in DL coach Kris Kocurek.

Kenneth Grant (Michigan) DT – Grant weighs over 330 pounds but doesn’t have the accompanying strength, only 22 bench reps at the Combine. That calls into question if his 330 includes some fat. He has pursuit speed, the tape shows him filling the gap against the run, but body composition and power are question marks.

Derrick Harmon (Oregon) DT – Huge production, but like Nolen a one-way player vulnerable to the run. Unlike Nolen, he doesn’t have a quick first step. So, debating disruptors I think they prefer Nolen and Harmon is ruled out.

Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M) Edge – The best traits at edge since Myles Garrett, but the stats of Casper The Ghost. To stop the run, the Niners will need to set the edge against the run, hence their interest in Femi Oladejo. Stewart is highly capable of that as well, but has to be coached up from scratch. Kocurek converted a no stats Ziggy Ansah into an impact player, I think he will lobby for Stewart, and as the Niners evaluate defensive linemen, Kocurek’s voice will be key.

Mykel Williams (Georgia) Edge – The story on Williams is the body type of Nick Bosa and Aldon Smith, the school that produces no-stat stars who bring the stats in the NFL. All well and good, but none of that evaluates the player himself. Williams is not Trayvon Walker, scouts have said he is not the athlete Walker was, or teammate Jalon Walker is. Williams is slow, 4.77 slow. Great against the run, not so much the pass. The Niners can’t just ignore the pass rush or they give up the conversion on 3rd and long. Get an edge that can set the edge and rush the passer. Stewart has the traits for that, so do Oladejo and Jalon Walker, but Mykel Williams is not at that level. I pass.

Will Johnson (Michigan) DB – This regime doesn’t take DBs in the first. Johnson hurt his cause by not running a 40 at his workout. His tape shows elite talent when the play is in front of him in zone coverage, and helpless with his back to the QB. He's also weak in run support with a high missed tackle rate. I think Jahdae Barron is the better talent, but the Niners are so in love with Patrick Surtain it’s Johnson or pass on a DB. I think Johnson’s weaknesses take him off the list at 11.

So the pick, I have defensive line, out of BPA and need. Picking a DL at 11 also opens the draft for more flexibility in the following picks, when Kyle Shanahan will be very tempted by TreVeyon Henderson as the next RB if he’s there at 43, Kaleb Johnson slightly later, or a tight end at 75 or 100.

If Membou, Mason Graham, Will Campbell, Warren, or Walker falls the pick could go there. If not…

With the 11th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers select…Shemar Stewart, defensive end, Texas A&M.

If the pick comes down to DL, Kocurek’s preference will have an influence, along with what Robert Saleh recommends. The need is an edge with run defense skills and the clay to get to the passer. I think Kocurek won’t be able to resist Stewart’s traits. Building Stewart into an All-Pro is Kocurek’s Everest to climb and conquer. Whether that happens TBD, but as of now, I think Stewart is the pick, followed by Nolen, then Williams.

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