RANKING THE 49ERS DRAFT PICKS BY HOW MUCH PLAYING TIME THEY’LL GET IN 2024

The San Francisco 49ers draft was not as well-received by pundits as some felt the team reached in its first two rounds. However, true value will be measured in how many quality snaps these players will give the Niners during their careers.

The following exercise is undoubtedly speculative, but that won’t stop us from ranking each 2024 49ers draft pick by how much playing time they’ll see as a rookie. The hope is three of these players turn into long-term starters and another one or two end valuable rotational pieces. This, in our view, would constitute a successful draft.

1) OL Dominick Puni

Many pegged offensive linemen as the 49er’s initial pick, but a positional run led them to wide receiver. Then, in the second round, Washington’s offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten was selected one spot in front of them.

Even though Kingsley Suamataia was on the board, the 49ers moved down one spot with the Kansas City Chiefs and addressed a need in the secondary.

And now, we turn our attention to Puni, a player who could potentially see the most playing time among all the rookies despite being a third-round pick. This is a testament to the 49ers' staying true to their board and potentially finding a hidden gem after the first two rounds.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 49ers use a rotation at right guard again. Instead of Spencer Burford, that’s where Puni slides in for this projection. He’ll duke it out with Jon Feliciano and perhaps beat him to win the job coming out of training camp.

2) CB Renardo Green

Green comes into a cornerback situation with plenty of uncertainty. That bodes well for the rookie out of Florida State. Let’s act as if Deommodore Lenoir is starting at Nickel and Charvarius Ward, an All-Pro, doesn’t have to “win” a spot.

That means Green will compete with Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin, and Darrell Luter Jr., who played sparingly as a rookie in 2023. If the 49ers were high on Luter Jr. or believed he was ready, I doubt we see Green, a fifth-year senior, taken in the second round.

Yiadom and Ya-Sin are veterans with high floors —Yiadom had a sneaky good year with the New Orleans Saints last year—but they also have injury histories. There are several ways for Green to see the field early and often as a rookie. He could also help himself by excelling at multiple spots during training camp.

3) WR Ricky Pearsall

How many teams would list their first-round pick third when it comes to playing time? Pearsall is listed here due to a numbers game. The front office selected him in the first round because they view the former Florida Gator as a long-term starter.

That can be true while acknowledging it will be difficult for Pearsall to steal snaps from Deebo Samuel. Last year, the 49ers ran 11 personnel 39 percent of the time, which was their highest usage rate of any personnel. They also had the highest success rate. I know Pearsall is a first-round pick, but it won’t be easy to pull Jauan Jennings off the field, either.

Pearsall could have a stellar training camp and carve himself out a role. It’s also important to point out that he could be interchangeable in specific packages and play calls, allowing him to get onto the field.

As the season progresses, I’d expect Pearsall to be groomed for the future. But we’re talking about two high-quality players in Samuel and Jennings, who were and still are integral parts of this high-flying offense.

An injury to Deebo shoots Pearsall up to No. 1 on this list.

4) WR Jacob Cowing

Cowing feels like a better, all-around version of Ray Ray McCloud. I’m penciling in Cowing as the 49ers returner. Special teams snaps count, so perhaps he should be higher. But Cowing’s speed to stretch the field, run away from man coverage, and ability to find the soft spot in zone coverages makes him a more straightforward projection than most Day 3 wideouts.

I’m more interested in seeing Cowing’s usage moving forward once Samuel and Jennings are no longer on the roster. I sense that Shanahan is moving away from the bigger-bodied slot type in Jennings for a player like Cowing, who you can use the entire field with.

5) S Malik Mustapha

Mustapha is a problematic projection since we don’t know the status of Talanoa Hufanga. Shanahan says he’ll be ready for training camp. But what if there’s rust? That’d be good news for Mustapha. But there’s the flip side, where Hufanga looks like his old self, and the pairing of him and Ji’Ayir Brown are making plays left and right during training camp. You’re not taking that duo off the field.

Mustapha will likely play on all special teams, but his path to seeing the field on defense, at least in Year 1, involves a Hufanga setback.

6) RB Isaac Guerendo

Sure, you could argue that Guerendo should or will be RB2. I’m thinking about RB1. Christian McCaffrey was the 49ers’ best player last season. Some have criticized Shanahan for using him too much. But have you seen what CMC does when he’s on the field?

Guerendo would have to be excellent in pass protection or take full advantage of his rare touches to earn the coaching staff’s trust as a rookie. It’ll be a big preseason for the rookie, as that’s when he’ll have the most opportunities.

2024-05-08T17:55:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd