The NFL Draft is going to sneak up on us. It’s time to get familiar with as many potential prospects that the San Francisco 49ers might be interested in. Mock drafts are a way to do that. ESPN’s Field Yates had a 2-round mock draft.
With the 49ers on the clock at No. 27,
Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn
The Niners need to work on their edge group, though a big boost will come from the returns of Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams from injury. Faulk is an intriguing prospect whose tape was better in 2024 than 2025
(7.0 sacks compared with 2.0, respectively). But his skill set is too good to ignore: He’s 6-6, 276 pounds with positional versatility and stout run defense. A defensive line coach will see the potential to develop Faulk into a much more consistent rusher, as he won’t turn 21 years old until September.
The 49ers would be fortunate to have Faulk land in their laps. We will talk about him in more depth later. He’s an A+ run defender. If the 49ers gravitated toward Mykel, they’re gonna love Keldric. A player as young as Faulk being able to hold up in ways that he did against the blocking schemes he faced is a sign that he could be a linchpin for a defense lacking beef upfront.
Faulk had only 2 sacks in 2025, down from 7.5 in 2024, but his pressure rate remained consistent. It was 13 percent in 2024 and 11 percent this past season. His quick pressure percentage actually jumped from 2% to 5%. Faulk’s arm length directly impacted throws that led to turnovers last season at Auburn. He is the real deal, and just scratching the surface of what he can become.
In this hypothetical, David Bailey (2nd), Arvell Reese (3rd), Carnell Tate(6), Rueben Bain (8), Jordyn Tyson (9), Ahkeem Mesidor (15), Makai Lemon (16), R Mason Thomas (20), Omar Cooper Jr. (23) and Zion Young (25) were the pass rushers and wide receivers to go off the board before the 49ers were on the clock. Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell and KC Concepcion were selected 29th and 30th. Denzel Boston went 30th.
The Niners went wide receiver at No. 58:
Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
The 49ers onboarded a pair of veteran wideouts this offseason in Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, but the room definitely needs an infusion of youth. Bernard is a buttery smooth route runner with excellent instincts against all types of coverage. He’s steady after the catch and would have a chance to thrive under coach Kyle Shanahan.
Bernard is a good match for Shanahan’s offense. On the first play of the game against LSU, Alabama lined up Bernard as a running back. The next play, he lined up out wide, and on the third play, he was in the slot.
Bernard does fall under the YAC receiver umbrella, as 404 of his 862 yards came after the catch last season. You don’t have to worry about drops, as Bernard caught 92 percent of his catchable targets.
Bernard’s 4.48 40 was plenty fast enough, but his 87th percentile 3-cone shows up when the ball is in his hands. A 73rd percentile broad jump is more impressive than a 4.48 40. Bernard had 18 20+ targets last season. He only caught five of those, but the attempts were there.
Bernard can take a jet sweep, but he isn’t a “gadget” player. Alabama used him primarily on three routes, and he showed the ability to get open against elite competition. Bernard is also strong enough to hold on in contested situations and use that strength as a blocker. He’s an intriguing player. There’s a clear drop-off from the top-tier wideouts, but Bernard in the second round would be a nice consolation and better value than some of the receivers projected to go early.
