15. San Francisco 49ers: Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE, Georgia
The San Francisco 49ers have found themselves in a horrible predicament this season. They have suffered a wide variety of long-term and concerning injuries to key building blocks on their roster all at once.
It’s been a total dud of a season for this team, leaving long-term questions beyond this year as well. Not good.
The biggest area the 49ers need to address going forward is off the edge opposite Nick Bosa. The 49ers have struggled to identify and draft fits for their roster on the defensive front in recent years, and it’s hurt this team more than people realize. They are 25th in the NFL in third down defense this season and having another playmaker for the pass rush who can affect games when Bosa is dealing with chips and double or triple teams would be huge.
Jalon Walker has had a huge year for the Georgia defense with 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss, and he’s only 20 years old with unlimited upside.
16. Atlanta Falcons: Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M
It doesn’t matter where the Falcons go along the defensive front in the 2025 NFL Draft, but it should be mandatory for general manager Terry Fontenot to go after someone who can get pressure on the quarterback.
After a handful of years in a row not attacking the quarterback position at all, the Falcons killed that roster need with fire as they signed Kirk Cousins and drafted Michael Penix Jr. It was a bit of over-correction on the part of the Falcons, but people could have seen their inability to rush the passer affecting the 2024 season from miles away.
The Falcons have been one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the NFL in 2024 and a player like Texas A&M’s unicorn athlete Shemar Stewart could end up being a big-time hit in year one. At 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, Stewart is well-built with outstanding length and should be far more productive in the pass rush department as a pro than we’ve seen the last couple of years at the collegiate level (1.5 sacks this season). You can line him up anywhere on the front or even off the edge.