Only 13 players are set to attend the 2024 NFL Draft, and two of them are candidates to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers.
Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson will be in his hometown for the draft, having been born in the Detroit suburb of Southfield.
Robinson is an extremely versatile defensive lineman who can excel playing on the edge but arguably has more value as an interior pass rusher on true passing downs.
As such he is likely to be on the radar of a 49ers team that met with him at the Combine and is still trying to fill the void left by Charles Omenihu, who departed after the 2022 season having excelled with his inside-out versatility.
Robinson could well be in the mix to be selected by the 49ers with pick number 31.
But the other player attending the draft with at least a chance of becoming a 49er is not likely to be there at that point in the draft.
LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had a formal interview with the 49ers at the Combine and has a skill set that would intrigue San Francisco and give the Niners something different at the position with his remarkable combination of size and field-flipping speed.
But ESPN analytics rates the chances of Thomas being available at 31 at under 20 percent, meaning it would almost certainly require a trade up for the 49ers to take him.
With the 49ers yet to sign Brandon Aiyuk to a long-term extension and Deebo Samuel potentially a trade candidate next offseason, that is not out of the realms of possibility. It's still unlikely but, with Thomas in attendance, it would make for a memorable draft moment if San Francisco pulled it off.
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