There are 33 days until the NFL Draft and the San Francisco 49ers hold the 11th overall pick. Assuming they stay put at 11, who will they most likely choose? The 49ers didn't make a splash in free agency, but they filled some of the slots that were lacking. You should expect the team to target players who will make an impact on day one.
LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
Campbell is listed as an outside linebacker who played most of his snaps on the weak side. The 49ers lost a key cog to their linebacking core with Dre Greenlaw signing with the Denver Broncos. Campbell is 6'3", 244 lbs, and a dynamic athlete on the field. He ran a 4.52 at the NFL Scouting Combine and posted the highest R.A.S. (relative athletic score) amongst linebackers at 9.95. He finished last season with 117 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks, an interception, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles, earning first-team All-SEC honors.
Campbell is an excellent tackler with an 88.2 tackle grade from Pro Football Focus and has a 5.9% missed tackle rate. He has 65 run stops with an 81.0 run defensive grade. On Film, Campbell uses his eyes to diagnose plays and his speed to disrupt the play. He is recovering from a right-torn labrum as he enters the draft.
DE Mike Green, Marshall
Green is listed as a defensive end with power, speed, and explosiveness out on the edge. He punches like an edge rusher with a quick first step and a relentless motor on the field. Standing at 6'3" and 251 pounds, Green can counter a change in his pass rush plan if his initial plan doesn't work out. He led the FBS in sacks with 17 out of 59 total pressures. His pass-rush win rate was 20.2%, and his run-stop rate was 9.4%. Green had 45 tackles, 12 assisted tackles, and 49 run stops, finishing the 2024 season with a 90.2 run-defense grade from Pro Football Focus.
With the release of defensive end Leonard Floyd, the 49ers may want to look to complement their premier pass rusher, Nick Bosa. Adding a premier pass rusher like Mike Green could give Kris Kocurek and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh unlimited options to utilize on the football field. Green does come with some red flags with the sexual assault allegations, which the draft prospect addressed at the NFL Combine, denying the claims. He could be a risk but expect the 49ers to do their homework on a player with the gifts and talent to make a defensive line better.
DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Nolen is 6'4", 296 lbs, and a disrupter up front. He is versatile as a defensive tackle, playing snaps as a nose tackle in Mississippi. Nolen is loaded with power and possesses a quick first step at the snap of the ball. He has powerful hands to shed blockers and be a force in the backfield. Nolen completed the 2024 season with 35 total pressures, six sacks, 26 solo tackles, 14 for loss, and 32 run stops. He had a 10.9% pass-rush win rate and an 11.9% run-stop rate, ranking him high in the defensive tackle position in both categories.
With the release of Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave, the 49ers may look to add explosiveness in the middle of their defensive line. Drafting a player like Nolen will improve the depth and rotation on the interior defensive line. Nolen is a three-down player who will give the 49ers defense run-stopping and pass-rushing all in one. Will Nolen be a reach at pick 11? That depends on how high the 49ers value him as an interior defensive lineman.
Of course, the 49ers could take a whole different approach. However, if you read between the lines, the team is looking to get younger and save money, in addition to bringing back Robert Saleh as defensive coordinator. In that case, the 49ers would simultaneously rebuild the defense by getting cheaper and younger. These three players would immediately impact Saleh's defense in years to come.
