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NFL Mock Draft: 49ers Replace Two Starters with One Pick

This is an intriguing pick because it kills two birds with one stone.

Grant Cohn

Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts after defeating the Texas Longhorns in overtime in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker (11) reacts after defeating the Texas Longhorns in overtime in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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This offseason, the 49ers lost both linebacker Dre Greenlaw and defensive end Leonard Floyd.

So with the 11th pick in the upcoming draft, The NFL Network's Eric Edholm projects the 49ers to pick a player who can replace both of them -- George linebacker/edge rusher Jalon Walker.

"The 49ers are now without LB Dre Greenlaw and edge Leonard Floyd; technically, Walker can help at both spots," writes Edholm. "Finding his exact role and position will be key, but the dynamic Georgia defender can be a traditional off-ball linebacker on typical run downs and rush the quarterback in passing situations."

This is an intriguing pick because it kills two birds with one stone. But it's unclear just how good Walker is at either position. An an off-ball linebacker, he lacks instincts. And as a pass rusher, he lacks size to set the edge against the run. So his value primarily will come against the pass.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, their run defense is abysmal. And if you can't stop the run, you never get the opportunity to rush the quarterback.

Which means I wouldn't be shocked if the 49ers were to draft the other Georgia defensive end -- Mykel Williams.

Williams is much bigger than Walker and is an outstanding run defender -- he instantly would be the 49ers' best edge-setter, even better than Nick Bosa. Williams also has potential to improve as a pass rusher because he's young and has long arms.

Plus, most Georgia edge rushers who are drafted early typically pan out in the NFL. Just ask the Eagles.

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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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