Niners Nation Radio: Potential targets after the first round

While the eyes of the Faithful remain hyper-focused on the quarterback, the 49ers will choose third overall; the reality is that San Francisco still has eight other picks to work with throughout the draft. With 20 days to go until the start of the proceedings, Michelle Magdziuk and I thought it was time to focus on who the team will take after the QB in round one.

Here are just some of the players Michelle thinks are worth a look in round two:

Landon Dickerson, Center - Alabama

Even in their Super Bowl run of 2019, the 49ers struggled on their offensive line’s interior. Things only got worse in 2020 after the tsunami of injuries decimated the team. New addition Alex Mack does offer some temporary relief up the middle. Still, his primary value to the team could be mentoring a rookie that could theoretically take over the position for the next ten years. Enter Landon Dickerson. Dickerson has played at every offensive line position in his career, had the second-highest run-blocking grade from PFF among FBS interior offensive linemen last year, and the third-highest grade overall.

One scary note for us 49ers fans: Dickerson has a lengthy injury history, including tearing his ACL in December. That said, he looks to be doing okay in his rehab (here’s some proof if you don’t believe me).

Jevon Holland, Safety - Oregon

Despite returning much of the secondary from last year, the Niners will still have to rebuild that group again in 2022. Holland could be a step in that direction if he’s available when the 49ers are on the clock on day two. Holland was a ballhawk for the Ducks with 20 combined interceptions and pass breakups in his first two seasons (he opted out in 2020 due to COVID-19). At 6’1” and 207 pounds, he has the size the 49ers look for in a safety and could bring some of the big plays missing from that part of the defense under Tartt and Ward.

To hear all of the potential targets for the 49ers after round one, make sure you listen to the full episode of today’s Niners Nation Radio podcast. It’s available here, and everywhere you get podcasts.

Other topics in today’s episode

• How the 49ers dodged a bullet by not trading for Sam Darnold
• The best way to watch the draft
• Why so much of the draft coverage seems positive this year