The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner with just 11 days before the San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to make their first pick on Friday, April 29.
Although most of the speculation surrounding San Francisco’s 61st pick is zeroed in on the 49ers secondary, one draft analyst has highlighted a receiver that could fit well in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. Regardless of which side of the ball the 49ers target with their first selection, national media agree that the team will pick a player with a versatile skill set.
As 49ers.com continues it's weekly roundup of mock draft projections, here's what media analysts forecast the 49ers doing heading into Day 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
In case you missed last week's picks, check out the 49ers 2022 Mock Draft Monday 2.0 here.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: DB Cam Taylor-Britt, Nebraska
"This is the 49ers debut pick in this draft, but this late in Round 2, they're not going to be guaranteed to get a starter. They can take a need position, sure, but they shouldn't reach to make it happen. Taylor-Britt makes sense because he has some raw tools with which to work and has the skillset to play multiple spots. He had 11 pass breakups last season. San Francisco signed Charvarius Ward, but should add corner depth."
Matthew Freedman, FantasyPros.com: WR Wan'Dale Robinson, Kentucky
"Maybe (the 49ers) could have gone with safety Jalen Pitre to replace Jaquiski Tartt. That would have been the reasonable pick, the justifiable pick. But Kyle Shanahan is not a guy who does what's logical in some instances. This guy drafts offense basically every chance he gets.
"Robinson has a little bit of Deebo Samuel Sr. to his game. Last year, at Kentucky, he had 1,300 yards receiving on 100 catches and 100 yards rushing. Two years before that at Nebraska, he was a hybrid running back-wide receiver. He's a movable chess piece kind of player that Shanahan has shown an affinity for in the past.
"This is a little bit of a reach, but Robinson probably goes on Day 2, and the 49ers reach on skill position players anytime they have the opportunity to do so. So Wan'Dale Robinson, this feels like a 49ers kind of pick."
Matt Barrows, The Athletic: DB Jalen Pitre, Baylor
"Baylor defensive back Jalen Pitre had no coverage penalties in 2021. None. Zip. Zero. Nada. And that was in 431 coverage snaps in the pass-happy Big 12.
"Pitre started out as a linebacker at Baylor. Before the 2020 season, he switched to what the coaches there call the 'star' role, which we might recognize as a very active nickel cornerback. But even though he's defensive-back sized — 5-11, 195 pounds — Pitre continued to play with the aggression of a linebacker. He covered the slot receiver one play, a tight end the next, then blitzed off the edge on the third.
"The cat-quick Pitre finished the 2021 season with 76 tackles, 18 of them behind the line of scrimmage."
Dalton Miller, ProFootballNetwork.com: CB Roger McCreary, Auburn
"Roger McCreary routinely got his hands in passing lanes despite lacking ideal size or length at the position. He notched 37 pass defenses and 6 interceptions over the past three seasons. He's a cerebral cornerback who mirrors through route recognition and twitch rather than high-end speed or explosiveness. He splashed in 2020 with 7 tackles for loss, as well.
"He won't recover downfield like some of the other cornerbacks going later in this class. Still, McCreary consistently faced the best of the best in the SEC, putting together impressive tape in the process."
Chat Reuter, NFL.com: CB Tariq Woolen, Texas-San Antonio
"Woolen brings size and athleticism to a thin secondary, a similar pick to when the team selected Ahkello Witherspoon early in Round 3 five years ago."
