No position group on the San Francisco 49ers' roster appears more depleted—at least on paper—than the defensive line. As part of a salary-cap restructuring effort, the team parted ways with Javon Hargrave, Maliek Collins, and Leonard Floyd. With no significant reinforcements added in free agency, the front office is clearly banking on the 2025 NFL Draft to replenish the defensive trenches.
With the draft just two weeks away, NFL.com deputy editor Gennaro Filice released his second mock draft of the year. In it, he has the 49ers addressing their defensive front by selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 11 overall pick. Michigan's Mason Graham was already off the board, going earlier to the New England Patriots at No. 4.
"Looking at San Francisco's current depth chart, it's shocking how unimposing the defensive line appears on paper," Filice wrote. "Yeah, the group is headlined by Nick Bosa, but beyond the perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, where's the beef?
"The Niners are particularly thin on the interior. So let's give them a scheme-versatile D-lineman out of Oregon -- recall Arik Armstead, members of the 49er Faithful? -- who has drawn the kind of subtle-yet-consistent praise throughout the pre-draft process that makes me believe he could go surprisingly high."
In his mock, Filice has the 49ers passing on other high-profile interior defenders, such as Michigan's Kenneth Grant and Ole Miss' Walter Nolen, in favor of Harmon, who is ranked as the No. 4 interior defensive lineman on Pro Football Focus' (PFF) pre-draft big board.
Filice isn't the only one who believes Harmon could be selected higher than expected. Last month, insider Matt Barrows projected Harmon to the 49ers in a collaborative mock draft for The Athletic.
"No college interior defensive lineman had more quarterback pressures than Harmon last season, per PFF," Barrows noted.
Harmon (6-5, 313) earned career-best marks from the analytics site in 2024, including an 83.9 overall defensive grade, an 86.3 pass-rush grade, and an 80.5 run-defense grade.
However, while he led all interior defenders with 55 quarterback pressures (as noted by Barrows), Harmon also missed a career-high 12 tackles, resulting in a career-worst 29.3 tackling grade.
Harmon played one season at Oregon after transferring from Michigan State. In 2024, he posted career highs in tackles (45), tackles for loss (11), and sacks (5) while also recording four passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, per Sports Reference.