San Francisco 49ers manage to get stunning value in mock for 2024 NFL Draft despite trading up

Possessing the most talented roster in football, the San Francisco 49ers are unlikely to have space for 10 draft picks on their final 53-man group in 2024.

As such, the 49ers are clear candidates for a trade up in the draft that could land them one of the top players in this year’s class.

In our last mock draft we looked at what it could look like if the 49ers trade down. Now it’s back to the simulator to look at the results following a trade up.

The trade up

The 49ers send pick 31 and pick 124 in the fourth round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move up to 26 and arrest the stunning slide of one of the top prospects in the draft.

Round 1, Pick 26: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Trading up for Latu might be seen as a huge gamble given his injury history, Latu having previously had to medically retire during his time at Washington because of a neck injury before receiving clearance to return after transferring to UCLA.

Regardless of the risk involved, capitalizing on an unexpected fall for Latu would give the 49ers arguably the best pure pass rusher in the draft with a remarkably well-rounded repertoire of moves. With Latu playing across from Nick Bosa, the 49ers would have one of the most dynamic edge rush tandems in the NFL for years to come.

Round 2, Pick 63: Christian Haynes, OG, UConn

The 49ers picked their long-term starting left guard in this round back in 2021, could it now be time to find a mainstay at the right guard spot?

If so, Haynes is the best option on day two by some distance. 

A guard-only prospect who made 49 starts at UConn, Haynes is of a smaller stature for the position at a little over 6ft 2in and 314 pounds, but he is a violent run blocker who looks to finish emphatically. 

Haynes is exceptionally smooth in space on zone run plays and has proven he can anchor consistently in protection. There are few players in the draft that look better suited to San Francisco than Haynes.

Round 3, Pick 94: Michael Hall Jr, DT, Ohio State

The 49ers held a top-30 visit with Hall, who last season had the second-best pass rush win rate (18.3%) among interior defensive linemen in the 2024 draft (min. 100 snaps), per Pro Football Focus.

Consistency is the issue — as Hall’s tally of six sacks in his final two seasons reflects — but he wins consistently with quick and well-refined hand usage as well as an ability to dictate the leverage battle when he gets low. Yet to turn 21 years of age, the thought of Hall fine-tuning his talents under renowned defensive line coach Kris Kocurek is an enticing one.

Round 4, Pick 132: Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame

San Francisco has in recent years whiffed on two picks of big running backs in the middle rounds of drafts, with Trey Sermon (2021) and Tyrion Davis-Price (2022) proving ill-advised picks in the third round.

Estime could give the Niners what they thought they were getting with those selections. He is a huge back at 221 pounds who possesses explosiveness that belies his disappointing 40 time of 4.71 seconds, with his decisiveness and initial burst making him a great fit for the Kyle Shanahan offense. 

Those qualities are complemented by his power and impressive lateral quickness for a man of his size. Estime is not an elusive back, but he’s one who can make defenders miss with jump cuts and boasts great vision that sees him consistently do an excellent job of reading his blocks.

After piling a league-high 339 touches on Christian McCaffrey last season, the 49ers could use a viable means of taking some of the burden off his shoulders. Elijah Mitchell is not durable enough to provide that, but Estime could be the complementary back who allows San Francisco to spell their Offensive Player of the Year more effectively.

Round 4, Pick 135: Luke McCaffrey, WR, Rice

The Niners might want to make a bigger splash at the receiver position, but there are several reasons why Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother makes sense here. 

He ticks the biggest box, outside of blocking, for any Shanahan receiver in his willingness to go over the middle. McCaffrey displays excellent concentration at the catch point, can survive contact, adjust to balls outside his frame and make contested grabs. He has enough speed to do damage after the catch and, as a former quarterback used consistently as a runner out of the backfield, brings intriguing versatility to an offense that thrives on disguise.

Round 5, Pick 168: Javon Foster, OT, Missouri

Another trade as the Niners end their wait to add a tackle by dealing pick 176 in the fifth round and their final selection in the draft (251st overall) to the New Orleans Saints to move up eight spots.

Foster spent his entire career with the Tigers at left tackle, so it might be a tough ask for him to switch to the right and compete to take the starting job from Colton McKivitz. 

Still, Foster did not give up a sack last season and was the second-highest graded run blocker on zone plays in college football last season, per PFF, making him a strong fit for the 49er offense.

Round 6, Pick 211: Jaylin Simpson, S, Auburn

San Francisco needs depth at safety behind Ji’Ayir Brown and Talonoa Hufanga, who is coming off a torn ACL. In an ideal world, they’d get it earlier in the draft, but in Simpson they get a versatile talent with 4.34 speed and a strong track record of on-ball production. Simpson had four interceptions in his final season at Auburn.

Round 6, Pick 215: Tanner McLachlan, TE, Arizona

The 49ers haven’t made any effort to hide their desire to address the tight end position this offseason, and in McLachlan they get an explosive athlete coming off an impressive final season that saw him finish with 528 receiving yards and four touchdowns.