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Why the 49ers Probably will Draft a Defensive End in Round 1

Here's why.

Grant Cohn

Dec 22, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) stands on the sideline prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Dec 22, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) stands on the sideline prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
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The 49ers could take any position with the 11th pick in the upcoming draft, but past successes and failures might compel them to take a defensive end. Here's why.

John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan could take an offensive tackle, but the one OT they drafted in Round 1 was Mike McGlinchey and he was a huge disappointment who didn't get a second contract from the 49ers.

Lynch and Shanahan also could draft a defensive tackle, but the two DTs they've taken in Round 1 are Solomon Thomas and Javon Kinlaw who are two of the worst picks in franchise history.

Lynch and Shanahan also could take a defensive back, but they've never drafted a DB in Round 1. The earliest they've drafted one was at the end of Round 2 last year when they took Renardo Green.

That's why it's highly likely the 49ers will take a defensive end with the 11th pick. The one DE they've drafted in Round 1 is Nick Bosa, and he has been a tremendous success. Meanwhile, all the defensive ends Lynch and Shanahan have drafted after Round 1 have been busts. Think Drake Jackson and Robert Beal Jr.

The 49ers desperately need a starting three-down defensive end after releasing Leonard Floyd and failing to sign Joey Bosa. Expect them to take a long, hard look at Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M, Mykel Williams from Georgia and Jalon Walker from Georgia.

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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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