After eight drafts together, it’s apparent what Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch like and don’t like.
The best cornerbacks they’ve drafted have had a specific set of traits. Their offensive tackles must have certain attributes, especially if they’re taken early. And there’s been a key characteristic among the running backs they’ve gone after.
We’ve studied their draft picks and acquisitions since 2017 to figure out which selections have been most successful and to zero on one potential draft pick — and in one case, two players — at every position who has the traits the 49ers like. The following isn’t so much a mock draft but a guide to figure out the perfect fits in this year’s class.
Quarterback
Shanahan never would turn down a tall, tough, quick-processing quarterback with a cannon for an arm who’s also capable of gouging defenses for 100 rushing yards on any given day. But if he had to choose one of those attributes, he’d probably go with the processing speed. Shanahan wants a quarterback who sees the field like he does. As one former Shanahan passer protege, Brian Hoyer, put it, Shanahan enjoys having an avatar on the field. Of all the quarterbacks he’s coached in San Francisco, Brock Purdy has filled that vision the best.
Perfect fit: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, 7th round
Like Purdy, Gabriel doesn’t have great size or arm strength. But he’s played a lot of college football — more than 2,000 passing attempts — and he was exceedingly accurate for the Ducks (72.9 percent passing percentage) last season. He also added a Purdy-like seven rushing touchdowns in 2024.
Running back
Shanahan and his long-time running back guru, assistant Bobby Turner, have taken all sorts of running backs since arriving in 2017. One trait they seek is the ability to plant a foot in the ground, change direction, then quickly accelerate to top speed. It’s why the 49ers brought in Joe Williams and Matt Breida in 2017, went after Jerick McKinnon in free agency in 2018 and took Issac Guerendo in the fourth round last year — they had the speed to excel on the stretch zone runs that are a crucial part of San Francisco’s offense.
Perfect fit: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, 3rd round
At 5-11, 200 pounds, Sampson isn’t nearly as big as Guerendo. He’s closer to what Raheem Mostert was coming out of Purdue in 2015. All three were high school track stars with Sampson once running the 100-meter dash in 10.48 seconds. His size also didn’t deter the Vols from using him as a goal-line back. He scored 22 rushing touchdowns last season.
Wide receiver
This is the only spot in which we’ll have two candidates because Shanahan likes two distinct types of receivers. One is a player who’s part running back — someone who’s technically a wideout but is very strong with the ball in his hands. It’s why the 49ers have brought in players like Deebo Samuel, Jalen Hurd and Ray-Ray McCloud in the past. The second type is someone with excellent separation skills. Shanahan watches wideouts’ lower bodies and how smoothly and forcefully they make cuts and create space with defenders. It’s what Shanahan liked about Dante Pettis, Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall.
Perfect fit 1: Savion Williams, TCU, 3rd round
Williams isn’t the most natural pass catcher in the draft, but he’s got a big, 6-5 frame, and is a powerful and violent runner with the ball in his hands. He had 611 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns and 322 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns last season.
Perfect fit 2: Ricky White, UNLV, 6th round
White has some similarities to former 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne in that he’s not huge and not a speed demon, but he consistently gets open, especially downfield and on the deep crossers that are such a big part of the 49ers’ system. A bonus: White was excellent on all four phases of special teams, which ought to be attractive for new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.
Tight end
Tight ends who can block a 270-pound defensive end on one play and grab a 50-yard touchdown on the next? They’re like comets — they appear only rarely. The 49ers happened to snag one in 2017 when they found George Kittle in the fifth round. Since then, they’ve concentrated on the blocking aspect, drafting Charlie Woerner in the sixth round in 2020, Cameron Latu in the third round in 2023 and Brayden Willis in the seventh round in 2023.
Perfect fit: Tyler Warren, Penn State, 1st round
This draft is full of quality tight ends with LSU’s Mason Taylor, Texas’ Gunnar Helm and Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson potential nice fits on Day 2. But if Shanahan is craving one of the most versatile weapons in the draft, there is only one. Warren has the size and strength to be an effective in-line blocker and the receiving skills — he had 104 catches last season — for big plays down the field. He’ll even give you some goal-line snaps as a Wildcat quarterback.
Offensive tackle
The 49ers are looking for tackles with good feet. A tackle in the 49ers’ system must be quick and coordinated enough to move laterally while still being engaged with defensive linemen. The 49ers have used just one first-round pick on a tackle in the Shanahan era — Mike McGlinchey at pick No. 9 in 2018. McGlinchey’s forte while with the 49ers was his run blocking.
Perfect fit: Chase Lundt, Connecticut, 4th round
Lundt’s lateral agility stands out, and his performance at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine ought to be interesting to watch. He could stand to get stronger and become a more stout pass blocker, but he bears some resemblance to Baltimore Ravens tackle Roger Rosengarten, who captured the 49ers’ interest last year, and he could serve as San Francisco’s swing tackle in 2025 while he develops.
Guard
The 49ers take college offensive tackles — the longest, most athletic players on a college offensive line — and turn them into guards. That’s what they did with Spencer Burford, Nick Zakelj and Dominick Puni. At one point they had designs on moving Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore to guard, too, but their need at tackle was too great to allow them to make the switch.
Perfect fit: Joshua Gray, Oregon State, 4th round
Gray already made the transition from tackle to guard, having spent his first four seasons with the Beavers at left tackle and his final one at left guard. His movement skills stand out and he’s projected to go to a zone-blocking team like the 49ers.
Center
The 49ers obviously would love a 6-4, 320-pound center with 34-inch arms capable of making blocks 25 yards downfield, but this is the one position on the offensive line at which they’re willing to take a shorter, stubbier prospect. Starter Jake Brendel’s arms, for instance, are 31 5/8 inches, which would be too short for the 49ers at guard and tackle.
Perfect fit: Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 2nd round
Zabel played left tackle for the Bison last season but his quick feet stood out at guard and especially at center against a talented crop of defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. Zabel’s measurements: 6-5 3/8, 316 pounds and 32 1/2-inch arms.
Defensive end
The archetype for this position is Nick Bosa, who rushes the passer and plays the run equally well. The 49ers had some initial success pairing him with a speed rusher, Dee Ford, but more recent iterations haven’t panned out as well and the 49ers seem more inclined to find a bigger, three-down bookend who can take over for Leonard Floyd when his contract expires next year.
Perfect fit: JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, 2nd round
The draft’s first three rounds will be teeming with edge rushers and the 49ers could use the No. 11 pick on the position. If they wait until the second round, Tuimoloau has the size and length they like — 6-5, 267 pounds — and he was ultra productive last season with 12 1/2 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. That he learned from Bosa’s mentor, Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson, would seem to make for an easy transition.
Defensive tackle
The 49ers want defensive tackles who explode off the snap. It’s what they liked most about D.J. Jones, a sixth-round pick in 2017, and why they signed Javon Hargrave in free agency two years ago. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek wants a player who can penetrate and disrupt the opponent’s backfield.
Perfect fit: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 1st/2nd round
The 49ers will have plenty of options in a draft full of athletic defensive tackles. Nolen, however, stands out with his ability to blow past guards and centers, and his combine numbers — pay close attention to the 10-yard split — ought to be impressive. Nolen also plays the run well, earning a 91.6 run grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024. The only interior defensive lineman with a higher grade was Michigan’s Mason Graham, a projected top-10 pick.
Linebacker
What do the 49ers look for in a linebacker? Someone with a background as a defensive back. Fred Warner essentially lined up as a nickel back for BYU, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles played safety at Arizona, Jalen Graham was a hybrid linebacker-safety at Purdue and Dre Greenlaw was a cornerback in high school. The 49ers want linebackers who can move and who are assets in pass coverage, which is what you get with a former defensive back.
Perfect fit: Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon, 4th round
Bassa was the No. 1 high school safety in the state of Utah and initially played safety at Oregon before transitioning to linebacker. He’s strongest in pass coverage and as a blitzer, recording 27 quarterback pressures as a junior in 2023.
Cornerback
The 49ers have been most successful when they’ve drafted cornerbacks known for their feistiness. D.J. Reed (fifth round in 2018), Deommodore Lenoir (fifth round in 2021) and Renardo Green (second round in 2024) don’t have prototypical size but make up for their lack of length with toughness. The 49ers felt all three had the requisite grit to play inside at nickel cornerback as well as on the outside in a traditional role.
Perfect fit: Cobee Bryant, Kansas, 6th round
The 171-pound Bryant is rail thin, but shows the same feistiness as the players above. He also had one of PFF’s highest run grades among cornerbacks last season, suggesting he wouldn’t wilt if asked to play nickel cornerback. Opposing quarterbacks had a lowly 62.7 passer rating when targeting him in 2024. A bonus: He already has an animal-based nickname — “Mamba” — that ought to pair well with Lenoir’s hyena persona.
Safety
The 49ers will take intelligence over foot speed when it comes to safety. Talanoa Hufanga, Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha had 40-yard dash times that ranged from ho-hum to downright slow, but impressed the team with their smarts and instincts. Hufanga and Brown earned “gold helmet” status from the 49ers, meaning they stood out in a number of areas, including performance, leadership and intelligence. Starting in 2024, the team stopped saying who earned gold-helmet designations, although Mustapha, a team captain at Wake Forest, seemed to excel in the same areas as the other two.
Perfect fit: Jonas Sanker, Virginia, 6th round
Sanker isn’t expected to shine in the 40 in Indianapolis, but he has the same sort of smarts and savvy as the players mentioned above. He led the ACC in solo tackles in each of the last two seasons and also was Virginia’s top special teamer in that span, something that should make him an especially attractive Day 3 pick for the 49ers.