11. San Francisco 49ers - Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
The San Francisco 49ers seem to be bringing the band back together. Robert Saleh is their new head coach, which is a strong hire. The Niners also have needs in the secondary. Safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Charvarius Ward are free agents in 2025.
And I do wonder if the Niners are going to try what the Minnesota Vikings were able to do - rebuild the roster while remaining competitive. This does include hitting on some rookie draft picks and getting immediate contributions from them.
Will Johnson might be the best pure CB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, and at pick 11 in this mock draft, the 49ers make the move. Getting Robert Saleh a talented cornerback is a wise idea, as the main reason in bringing him back into the mix, obviously, is so the defense can get back to their dominant ways like when he was there the first time.
In other news, San Fran may have an interesting decision to make about the contract of quarterback Brock Purdy, and are they going to try and bring the entire gang back on offense? This team does have some questions to answer.
12. Carolina Panthers (via DAL) - Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
The Carolina Panthers traded down a few slots with the Dallas Cowboys and pick 12th overall in this mock draft now. They’ll take EDGE Nic Scourton from Texas A&M. The Panthers do desperately need some pass rush help, as trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants definitely depleted this room in a big way.
The Panthers can’t just not address the defense, as the main story with this team as we get into the offseason is whether Bryce Young can make a leap into year three. We saw Young playing quite well after being benched in 2024. If he can develop into a franchise passer in 2025, the Panthers may actually have something going.
But the defense needs help along all three phases, but no more than their pass rush, so Nic Scourton at pick 12 makes a lot of sense for this team.