Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports has unveiled his latest mock draft, his first since early December. In his previous projection, he had the San Francisco 49ers reinforcing the interior defensive line with Walter Nolen. While Brockermeyer still envisions general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan targeting the defensive front, he has a different prospect heading to Santa Clara this time.
Brockermeyer now predicts Nolen will land with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5 overall, going off the board earlier than in his prior mock draft. At No. 11, he has the 49ers selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham as their first-round pick.
"Mason Graham is a dominant interior presence who plays with exceptional leverage, block recognition and relentless effort," Brockermeyer wrote. "He has powerful hips and hands, making him disruptive in both the run and pass game."
Graham earned a 91.1 defensive grade and a 92.6 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus this past season, leading all collegiate interior defenders in both categories. During his standout campaign, he recorded a career-high 34 pressures, 3.5 sacks, and 45 tackles (seven for a loss).
Graham (6-3, 320) has been remarkably consistent with Michigan over the past two seasons, earning defensive grades of at least 90.0 in both years. He also showed significant improvement in tackling, boosting his grade from 57.8 in 2023, when he had six missed tackles, to 78.0 in 2024, with only two missed tackles.
"Graham's ability to anchor a defensive line would be a steal here," Brockermeyer continued. "He's a personal favorite of mine, and I could even see him drafted higher as evaluations progress."
In January, Lynch stated that the 49ers plan to part ways with Javon Hargrave and designate the defensive tackle as a post-June 1 release. That will create an opportunity for a rookie like Graham to step in and make an immediate impact.
