B-
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers let Cowing fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by G ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
When a board-topper like Jacob Cowing slides to the Round 7 slot, you do not overthink it, and the 49ers did not.
That running back hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. If Fautanu pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They left with offensive lineman solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
The offense got the lion's share of the attention.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the running back spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 31 they get an anchor for the offensive line, though they paid up to get him. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Denzel Burke at the Round 2 slot squarely in line with his ranking. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A clean, defensible pick in pick 94 with a little surplus value in Christian Haynes. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Kiran Amegadjie at the 98th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Tory Horton in pick No. 131 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Zy Alexander at slot 177 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Taking JT Daniels in Round 6, Pick 34 is close to grand larceny; a quarterback that good had no business lasting this long. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steve Linton at the 213th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the edge rusher. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jaylon Carlies at the 215th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Steal is underselling it; Jacob Cowing at the Round 7 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.