Grading the 49ers' 2024 Draft

Nothing the 49ers did improved their chances of winning the Super Bowl next season, which should be their only goal. I guess the 49ers must think they're already the best.

Feb 4, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francscco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan (right) and general manager / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 49ers had three short-term objectives heading into the draft.

1. Get an offensive tackle.

2. Improve the run defense.

3. Make the team better in 2024.

Nothing earth-shattering. Just simple, straight-forward goals. And yet the 49ers accomplished none of them.

They could have traded up a few spots in Round 1 for offensive tackle Jordan Morgan, who could start for the 49ers right now and make them better. Instead, they stood pat at pick no. 31 and took wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who probably won't start until 2025 when he'll be 25 years old.

In Round 2, the 49ers could have traded up a couple spots for offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, whom they liked. Instead, they crossed their fingers and hoped he would fall to them, and he didn't. The Ravens took him one spot before the 49ers could. So they traded down and took a cornerback who probably won't start until 2025.

And just like that, the 49ers missed an opportunity to draft an offensive tackle from an historically great offensive-tackle class. Not what they intended to do.

So in Round 3, desperate to add an offensive lineman, they traded up for a guard who probably won't start until 2025 -- Dominick Puni. And sure, he might be good one day, but guards aren't hard to find. They don't play a premium position -- offensive tackles do. In hindsight, the 49ers should have traded up in Rounds 1 or 2, not Round 3.

So the 49ers failed to draft an offensive tackle. They also drafted zero defensive linemen and didn't address their run defense until their final pick when they took linebacker Tatum Bethune. And they didn't make their team better this year. They added a bunch of players who will contribute in 2025 or later.

Nothing the 49ers did improved their chances of winning the Super Bowl next season, which should be their only goal. I guess the 49ers must think they're already the best.

"I feel we're in a position that hopefully I don't think we did get worse," Kyle Shanahan said at the end of the draft. And he might be right. But hey didn't get better, either.

FINAL GRADE: C