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The 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, leaving the San Francisco 49ers with a draft class consisting of eight players—five on defense and three on offense. The coaching staff has shifted its focus to integrating these new additions into their plans for the upcoming season. Concurrently, media experts are delivering their annual assessments, grading each NFL team's latest batch of rookies.
Grading players who have yet to play a single NFL snap might seem premature, especially at this early stage of the offseason. Nevertheless, it serves to evaluate how each team addressed its perceived pre-draft needs.
Outlined below are the grades assigned by notable analysts and writers in the media and what they had to say about the 49ers' 2024 draft class. Each grade is accompanied by insights provided by the analysts to justify their assessments.
49ers Draft Picks
- Round 1 (31): WR Ricky Pearsall, Florida
- Round 2 (64): CB Renardo Green, Florida State
- Round 3 (86): G Dominick Puni, Kansas
- Round 4 (124): S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
- Round 4 (129): RB Isaac Guerendo, Louisville
- Round 4 (135): WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona
- Round 6 (215): G Jarrett Kingston, USC
- Round 7 (251): LB Tatum Bethune, Florida State
The following grades are listed from highest to lowest.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: A-
Grading Every Team's Performance in the 2024 NFL Draft
San Francisco earned a "C-" grade in 2023, marking a significant improvement in this year's assessment.
"The 49ers had the disadvantage of picking near the back of the round for just about every pick they made, but it didn't seem to matter much," Kelly shared. "I like the haul the defending NFC champs brought away from this draft, a group that includes two playmaking receivers in Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing. Pearsall boasts high-end route-running skills, great hands, and tons of toughness both at the catch point and as a blocker. Cowing, meanwhile, is electric, both deep down the field and when running away from defenders after the catch. San Francisco added talent to their secondary with the selections of cornerback Renardo Green and safety Malik Mustapha as well, the latter of whom I believe should've gone off the board a full round earlier. Mustapha is a rangy, hard-hitting safety who could be a big-time tone-setter for an already excellent defense. Third-round offensive lineman Dominick Puni also brings the potential to start at guard early in his career."
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Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus: B+
2024 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams
Pro Football Focus graded the 49ers' draft higher than last year's "C+" mark. Sikkema's analysis for each of San Francisco's eight selections is listed below.
- Pearsall — The 49ers take Pearsall, a slot receiver from Florida who excelled during the pre-draft process. Pearsall was productive and reliable, and his measurables are up to NFL standards. He only dropped five passes since the beginning of 2020, which is tied for the fewest among Power Five receivers with at least 200 targets in that span. This pick could also add intrigue to trade rumors swirling around Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
- Green — Green, PFF's 89th-ranked player in the class, had a spectacular season at Florida State. He posted a 90.0 PFF coverage grade in 2023. The strange part about the fit with the 49ers is that they are generally a zone-heavy defense. They do run a high rate of press coverage, though, so they may have a plan in place for Green's role in their defense.
- Puni — A powerful mauler in the run game, Puni started 27 games at left tackle over the past four seasons at Kansas but likely projects inside due to his desire to win in a phone booth as well as a lack of flexibility and inconsistent hand usage in his pass sets. He can help out at tackle in a pinch, offering the 49ers a nice depth piece with positional versatility in the third round.
- Mustapha — Mustapha is coming off his best season in 2023, earning a 79.6 PFF grade. He was particularly impressive against the run, earning an 87.5 PFF run-defense grade, fifth among Power Five safeties.
- Guerendo — Guerendo makes fast people look… not so fast. His 4.33-second 40-yard dash ranked first among running backs at the NFL scouting combine. He has the ability to make people miss once he reaches the second level of the defense. Guerendo is also a capable receiving threat out of the backfield, earning an 84.1 receiving grade in 2023.
- Cowing — This is a strong fit for Cowing and his skill set. He's a very solid route runner and a lethal weapon in the red zone. He racked up nine receiving touchdowns in 2023, tied for second among FBS receivers, in large part due to his ability to win quickly. In the Shanahan-style offense, Cowing will not only be a tremendous threat in the passing game, but also a decoy defensive coordinators have to worry about in unique formations/motion concepts.
- Kingston — Kingston was a solid pass blocker in college, at Washington State and then USC. He earned a 74.0-plus PFF pass-blocking grade in every season and allowed 17 quarterback pressures, including one sack, from 464 pass-blocking snaps this past season.
- Bethune — Bethune flashes solid ability in coverage. He recorded two forced incompletions and an interception with the Seminoles in 2023. Bethune's 76.0 PFF grade ranked 50th at the position in 2023.
Nate Davis, USA Today: B
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San Francisco earned a solid "B" grade from Davis, improving over last year's "C+" mark. While some viewed Pearsall as a reach at No. 31 overall, Davis was complimentary of the selection.
"First-round Florida WR Ricky Pearsall and second-round Florida State CB Renardo Green have the ability to contribute heavily to another Super Bowl push while also being foundational pieces beyond 2024 – especially if Pearsall has to eventually replace former Arizona State teammate Brandon Aiyuk's production," Davis wrote. "Third-round OL Dominick Puni (Kansas) might also crack the rotation this season but many of the players might struggle to make this roster – one reason the Niners spun two of their 10 picks into future drafts."
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B
2024 NFL Draft: Final quick-snap grades for all 32 teams
San Francisco earned a slightly higher grade than last year's "B-" mark. Reuter grades each day, awarding the 49ers a "B+" for Day 1, a "B-" for Day 2, and a "B" for Day 3.
"Pearsall's quickness and hands warranted first-round consideration, and the team needed a receiver with the potential trading away of Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk down the road," Reuter explained. "The 49ers could have also picked a cornerback or tackle at that spot. Green and Puni will contribute in areas of need, but trading up for Puni was a bit of a stretch. They did not re-sign Chase Young after sending a third to Washington at the deadline.
"Mustapha, picked with the selection gained from Dallas for quarterback Trey Lance, should see time on defense and special teams as a rookie. The 49ers hope to get more from Guerendo than recent running back picks Trey Sermon and Tyrion Davis-Price. Cowing is small but crafty, and Kingston's guard/tackle versatility makes him a valuable backup."
Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated: B
2024 NFL Draft Grades: Analysis of Every Team's Picks
Verderame graded the 49ers better than Gilberto Manzano of SI did in 2023 (C+) and praised the team's selection of Pearsall in the first round.
"Kyle Shanahan played wide receiver and evaluates the wide receiver class each year for the 49ers. He's had tremendous success at picking the position so far during his tenure as the team's coach, and Pearsall seems like a player who can also help San Francisco blend a little bit of McVay into the system by involving the versatile wideout into their blocking scheme intimately."
Mel Kiper, ESPN: B-
2024 NFL draft grades: Mel Kiper's winners, losers, sleepers
This was the most predictable grade of the bunch. For the fifth year in a row, the ESPN analyst awarded the 49ers a "B-" grade for their draft haul. Kiper noted that he would have liked to see the team bring in some competition for right tackle Colton McKivitz, whom he labels as a "below-average run-blocker." He also labeled the selection of Green as the "biggest reach of Round 2."
"That was their biggest need in Round 1, in my eyes," Kiper explained. "Lynch went a different direction, reaching a little bit for Ricky Pearsall (31), my 10th-ranked wide receiver. Pearsall has great hands and will be an asset in the run game as a blocker, but there were better players available at the end of Round 1.
"Then, San Francisco had the biggest reach of Round 2, selecting my No. 21 cornerback Renardo Green (64) about two rounds too high. That was a confusing one, as there were still some good corners on the board. I do like what Lynch & Co. did after that, though. Dominick Puni (86) has the potential to be a starting guard in time. Safety Malik Mustapha (124) is impressive in coverage and will be a dynamo on special teams. Running back Isaac Guerendo (129) ran a blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the combine and averaged 6.1 yards per carry last season, though he only had one year of steady production. The 49ers traded Nos. 173 and 176 to get Gurerendo, so they must like him a lot.
"Snagging Puni keeps the 49ers' grade out of the C territory, though I do think Pearsall will be a good pro."
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: C-
Iyer was not impressed with the 49ers' most recent draft class, ranking the group 31st in the NFL. His "C-" mark is a full grade below last year's "B-" performance.
Iyer explained, "The 49ers had a rare curious draft under John Lynch for many reasons. They added two more wide receivers despite not trading Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel and making plans to extend Jauan Jennings. They also took some luxury again at running back behind Christian McCaffrey in the speedy Guerendo. Puni and Mustapha are easily the best picks, and they project for depth at first. As a Super Bowl hopeful, there's nothing here that put loaded San Francisco over the top in relation to top NFC rivals."
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