With the No. 13 overall pick, Kiper has San Francisco selecting former Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
"I love this pick for the 49ers, who lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency," explains Kiper. "Lamb is a big-play threat and a technician as a route runner, and he'd be a great complement to the versatility of Deebo Samuel. San Francisco has two first-round picks -- it got this one after trading DeForest Buckner to the Colts -- but doesn't have picks in the second, third or fourth rounds, so watch out for a potential trade down to accumulate more assets."
That second first-round pick that Kiper mentions is the team's initial selection at No. 31 overall. There, Kiper has the 49ers upgrading their cornerback group with the addition of Noah Igbinoghene of Auburn.
"Since I gave the 49ers a wide receiver with their first pick, consider this two needs filled," writes Kiper. "The defense had issues on the other side of Richard Sherman all last season, and Sherman is 32 and only signed through 2020. San Francisco has to get younger here. Igbinoghene is raw, but he has tremendous upside. He's also a dynamite kick returner -- check out this 96-yard TD return. As I mentioned earlier, the 49ers could trade down from this pick with teams wanting to get back into the first round to draft someone and attain his fifth-year option."
Kiper's previous mock draft, version 3.0, also had San Francisco addressing the receiver position with the No. 13 overall pick. That projection, however, had the 49ers landing Jerry Jeudy of Alabama. Kiper's latest mock has Jeudy going No. 9 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 2020 NFL Draft is just over a week away. It takes place from April 23-25.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
ESPN mock draft: 49ers eye D-line help
With the San Francisco 49ers fighting to avoid playoff elimination in the final stretch of the regular season, it's also time to start considering mock drafts and the players experts believe could help the team bounce back from another potentially disappointing campaign. ESPN... -
CBS Sports mock drafts have 49ers eyeing Trent Williams' successor
CBS Sports released two mock drafts this week, one by Mike Renner and another by Chris Trapasso. While the contributors have the San Francisco 49ers selecting different players, their shared focus is on preparing for life after veteran left tackle Trent Williams. Williams, who... -
Brock Purdy update: Kyle Shanahan says 49ers QB has been 'great all week'
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy struggled during last Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. Difficult weather conditions and his recent recovery from a shoulder injury likely contributed to his performance. This week, Purdy has been a full participant in practice and is... -
49ers mailbag: What do the 49ers have left in the tank for the last four games? Will SF bring back Robert Saleh? Can Brock Purdy beat good teams?
It's always a big week when the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams. In 2021, the rivalry became even bigger when the 49ers had to win in the season's final week, in Los Angeles, to make it into the playoffs. On Thursday night, the 49ers must win again to keep their...