27. San Francisco 49ers: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
I try to make mock draft scenarios as much a though exercise as a true prediction, so I don’t like making a ton of repetitive picks. Having the same mock draft over and over again isn’t all that fun, even if you end up being right.
But in the case of the 49ers, I don’t know if there’s a more logical fit in the 1st round (assuming he’s available) than Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. He might not be quite as good of a prospect right now as his teammate Spencer Fano, but Lomu would have a chance at a really long career landing in an offense like Kyle Shanahan’s.
He would be the obvious heir apparent to veteran and future Hall of Famer Trent Williams. No pressure.
28. Houston Texans: Kayden McDonald, DL, Ohio State
The Houston Texans have been spending a lot of resources over the past couple of offseasons upgrading in the trenches on both sides of the ball. And even after bringing back Sheldon Rankins and signing former 1st-round pick Logan Hall, the Texans need to get better and deeper on the defensive front.
Kayden McDonald might be one of the best run-stuffing defensive linemen in this class, and even if his ceiling is not as a 10-sack type of player, he’s got such a high floor as a player against the run that a team like the Texans can be patient with his pass rush development.