Most expect the San Francisco 49ers to target the trenches in the 2025 NFL Draft, which kicks off in less than a week. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan hold the No. 11 overall pick, but there's no clear consensus on which player—or even position—they'll address first.
In his previous draft, Tom Fornelli had the 49ers trading up to select Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou. In his latest projection for CBS Sports, Fornelli still sees San Francisco addressing the offensive line. This time, however, he has the team staying put at No. 11 and selecting Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.
"The Niners could address the defensive line here too, but Banks makes a lot of sense," Fornelli wrote. "He could begin his career at right tackle before eventually sliding over to the left side when Trent Williams hangs up his cleats."
That scenario would have Banks replacing Colton McKivitz on the right side, gaining valuable experience as a potential long-term successor to Williams, who turns 37 before the 2025 season.
Bryan DeArdo also has the 49ers focusing on the trenches in his latest CBS Sports mock draft—though on the defensive side of the ball.
DeArdo took a different approach, analyzing 12 mock drafts from various analysts and basing each pick on the most commonly projected player at each spot. For the 49ers at No. 11, that meant selecting Marshall defensive end Mike Green, the 2024 college football sack leader.
"The 49ers are expected to use this pick on either a cornerback, an offensive tackle or a pass rusher," DeArdo explained. "Multiple mocks have them selecting Green, who last year led the entire FBS with 17 sacks. His 23 tackles for loss also led the Sun Belt Conference."
Green could be a perfect complementary piece on defense, lining up opposite All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa and adding more firepower to San Francisco's pass rush.