After seeing several players on the defensive side of the ball leave in free agency last month, the San Francisco 49ers must use most of their draft picks to find starters at all three levels of the defense.
The 49ers’ defensive line is in shambles, as the only returning starters they have are Nick Bosa and Jordan Elliott. San Francisco also has Yetur Gross-Matos back for another year, along with Kevin Givens, but they need more talent behind those guys.
While most 49ers fans are focused on getting a starting-caliber pass rusher in the NFL draft, the 49ers need to find a young defensive tackle ready to start on Day 1 because they can’t go with Elliott penciled in as one of the starters.
Jordan Elliott on Thin Ice as the 49ers Enter Draft
The 27-year-old Elliott joined the 49ers last offseason, signing a two-year, $7 million deal, after spending the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Browns. Elliott became a full-time starter in his last two years with the Browns and stepped into that role early last season after Hargrave went down.
Last season, the veteran defensive lineman posted 19 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits in 15 games (13 starts). Elliott wasn’t super productive, and his PFF grades from 2024 further illustrate that point.
According to Pro Football Focus, the former Browns defender recorded a 54.6 pass rush grade (165th among 219 defensive linemen) and a 53.1 run defense grade (106th). Elliott also had a 47.6 overall grade, which was the second-highest mark of his career.
However, a 47.6 overall grade on defense isn’t anything to be proud about, especially when it's a player who started 13 games. Elliott wasn’t much of a sack artist with the Browns (five), but they likely expected him to be more of a factor against the run.
The 49ers have 11 picks in the upcoming NFL draft, including four within the top 100. If I were general manager John Lynch, I would use all four on a pass rusher, defensive tackle, linebacker, and cornerback.
Finally, with the rest of the picks, I’d continue to add to the defense and potentially get another running back. San Francisco could live with Elliott being a backup defensive tackle behind a rookie. But having Elliott as a starter will put the 49ers’ defense in a bad spot.