In his second season as the New York Jets head coach, Robert Saleh selected cornerback Sauce Gardner at No. 4 overall over pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
If Saleh goes to John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan and says, “For my defense to be the best of the best, I need an elite cornerback,” then the 49ers have no choice but to see if there is one in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Renardo Green showed plenty of promise during his rookie year, but his ceiling looks to be a high-end CB2, which is a compliment. Deommodore Lenoir is cemented in as the nickel, leaving a gaping hole after Charvarius Ward’s inevitable departure.
The 49ers have the No. 11 overall pick. In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, have five cornerbacks go in the first round. A top cornerback with prototypical size is projected to be avaiable when the 49ers are on the clock.
11. San Francisco 49ers
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Johnson is right there with Hunter for CB1 in this class despite missing a lot of time in 2024 with an injury. During his time at Michigan, Johnson picked off nine passes, showcasing high-end instincts and quickness. With Charvarius Ward hitting free agency, there’s a spot open opposite Deommodore Lenoir at corner, too. The 49ers allowed opponents a 58.5 QBR this past season, ranking in the bottom third. For San Francisco to get back on top in the NFC West, the secondary needs some love.
Other options include adding to the offensive line (especially with Trent Williams turning 37), shoring up the run defense with a defensive tackle or maybe even dipping into the receiver pool if Deebo Samuel Sr. ends up playing elsewhere.
This is a big week for Johnson. If he runs well at the NFL Combine, he could vault himself into the top half of the draft. Johnson has been a popular pick for a team that has been pretty vocal about building through the trenches.
In a draft where the talent lies in the trenches, one argument is taking a top-tier talent like Johnson and coming back in the second and third rounds to snag what’s left of the defensive line crop.
Johnson is one of the few non-defensive linemen at No. 11, valuable enough to warrant the selection. He’s on the same plane as Patrick Surtain Jr. and Sauce Gardner.
Here’s Kiper’s full mock draft. Let’s just say there are some “surprises.”
Mel Kiper’s full 2025 mock draft
- TEN: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- CLE: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
- NYG: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
- NE: Will Campbell, OL, LSU
- JAX: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
- LV: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
- NYJ: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
- CAR: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia
- NO: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
- CHI: Josh Simmons, OL, Ohio State
- SF: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
- DAL: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
- MIA: Armand Membou, OL, Missouri
- IND: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
- ATL: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
- ARZ: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
- CIN: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
- SEA; Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
- TB: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
- DEN: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
- PIT: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
- LAC: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
- GB: Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
- MIN: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
- HOU: Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas
- LAR: Josh Conerly Jr., OL, Oregon
- BAL: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
- DET: Oluwafemi Oladejo, EDGE, UCLA
- WAS: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
- BUF: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
- KC: Aireontae Ersery, OL, Minnesota
- PHI: Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
