The San Francisco 49ers’ season from hell has officially knocked them out of the postseason hunt. Between personal tragedies impacting key members of the team, injuries all over the field, and a player refusing to come into a game, 2024 has been a season fans will be glad to put in the past and never revisit.

Kyle Shanahan’s group, if healthy, will be better next year. However, the 49ers are now also well aware of the fact they have multiple huge areas of need that need to be addressed in the 2025 NFL Draft. San Francisco will have more draft ammunition to play with than they’ve had in years.

If John Lynch and the rest of the 49ers follow the path laid out by this 2025 3-round NFL Mock Draft, they will not only bring in multiple players who could compete for starting jobs instantly, but they will address all their needs while finding great value in their selections.

San Francisco 49ers 3-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Round 1, Pick 11: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

While Grant may be considered the inferior prospect when compared to teammate Mason Graham, that shouldn’t mean he falls out of the top 15 or 20 picks. Grant will benefit from a boatload of teams who need defensive tackle help, and San Francisco may have the best shot at him.

Grant is a people-mover and space-eater at 340 pounds, but he also has more pass rush upside than most players that size. Grant’s raw power gives him a very high floor at the professional level, and he could start in San Francisco while providing high-quality play in the 49ers’ scheme for most of the next decade.

Round 2, Pick 43: Donovan Jackson, IOL/OT, Ohio State

The 49ers could theoretically use multiple offensive linemen additions in the offseason, as Trent Williams’ recent injury concerns have thrown a team that was already lacking depth up front into even more turmoil. Jackson, who offers tackle-guard versatility, could be worth snatching up at this point in the draft.

Jackson comes from a zone blocking scheme in college, and he has tremendous raw power and heavy hands. His technique is a bit raw, but nothing that good offensive line coaches can help weed out. Jackson has more potential than most Day 2 linemen, which could put him in San Francisco’s crosshairs.

Round 3, Pick 75: Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Many of Shanahan’s best defenses have featured long, rangy cornerbacks with great ball skills. At 6-4 with very long arms, Porter certainly fits that mold. He could eventually challenge for the second outside cornerback role alongside Charvarius Ward while the recently extended Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green take the wheel inside.

With only one year as a true starter on the outside after being blocked by TJ Tampa and some real concerns about his poor tackling, Porter is a bit of a project cornerback. However, with some solid defensive infrastructure already in place, San Francisco might feel comfortable taking this risk.

Round 3, Pick 100: Josaiah Stewart, EDGE, Michigan

Stewart is a size outlier in the pros, as he stands just 6-1 and 240 pounds. Still, the Coastal Carolina transfer was a proven quality pass rusher at the collegiate level, and his obvious deficiencies in run defense can be canceled out thanks to his tremendous speed and motor.

Stewart may be a one-dimensional player, but that dimension is sorely needed on a 49ers team that can go long stretches without anyone not named Nick Bosa getting to the quarterback. Stewart coming in as a third-rounder would give San Francisco’s front four on passing downs a huge upgrade.

2025 NFL Draft order after Week 16: 49ers are ‘this close’ to a top-10 pick

The Niners are going to be rooting for the Saints to beat the Packers on Monday Night Football, which will carry weight in the 2025 draft order.

The 49ers inched closer to a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with their loss to the Dolphins in Week 16.

It might be hard to convince both players and coaches, but losing is actually beneficial for the San Francisco 49ers as they wrap up the final stretch of 2024.

The Niners’ Week 16 road defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins certainly revealed a lot of problems with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad, but the defeat actually aided the prospects for landing a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft this April.

And top-10 picks in each subsequent round where San Francisco possesses its own pick.

Both the 49ers and Dolphins boasted 6-8 records entering the game, but now, Miami has one more victory in the win column, meaning the 6-9 Niners are a little bit closer to getting that top-10 pick.

Let’s take a look at the 2025 draft order with Week 16 (almost) in the books.

2025 NFL Draft order: 49ers on the cusp of a top-10 pick after Week 16

New York Giants (2-13)
New England Patriots (3-12)
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
Tennessee Titans (3-12)
Cleveland Browns (3-12)
Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
Carolina Panthers (4-11)
New York Jets (4-11)
Chicago Bears (4-11)
New Orleans Saints (5-9)*
San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
Miami Dolphins (7-8)
Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)

San Francisco swapped spots by losing to Miami, but it’s important to note that head-to-head matchups don’t matter in NFL Draft tiebreakers. Strength of schedule is the primary tiebreaker assigned to teams finishing with identical records.

However, the Dolphins having one more win than the 49ers bodes well for Shanahan and Co. this April.

49ers (temporarily) will be Saints fans to close out Week 16

There’s one remaining team blocking the Niners from getting into the top 10, the Saints, who’ll help wrap up Week 16 with a Monday Night Football showdown against the Green Bay Packers.

A NOLA win would result in an identical record with San Francisco but not a full swap in draft order, as the Saints have an easier strength of schedule to date than what the 49ers have played.

However, a New Orleans victory would make it that much easier for the Niners to sneak into the No. 10 overall pick, especially if Shanahan’s squad loses to both the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals to close out the regular season.