Top Players Available for Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft But 49ers Have Finally Made The Pick
The San Francisco 49ers look to continue what they began on Thursday. To recap, the 49ers selected WR Ricky Pearsall, CB Renardo Green and OL Dominick Puni in the first two days of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 49ers enter Saturday with six-total picks in Rounds 4-7. Here’s a list of the top remaining players available for Day 3, according to Daniel Jeremiah’s list of top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
Day 3 of the NFL draft has been a goldmine for the 49ers since the arrivals of coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017.
The foundation of San Francisco’s star-studded roster wouldn’t exist without home run selections like Brock Purdy (No. 262 overall in 2022), George Kittle (No. 146 overall in 2017), Dre Greenlaw (No. 148 overall in 2019), Talanoa Hufanga (No. 180 overall in 2021) and Deommodore Lenoir (No. 172 overall in 2021).
The 49ers currently have six selections between the fourth and seventh rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday, with an opportunity to replenish a stacked roster that has been among the league’s best for the last half decade.
After addressing the cornerback, offensive line and wide receiver positions in the first three rounds, the back end of the secondary remains the 49ers’ most glaring need heading into Day 3. With All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga recovering from a torn ACL and Tashaun Gipson Sr. no longer on the roster, veteran George Odum and 2022 third-round pick Ji’Ayir Brown are the only safeties on San Francisco’s roster who have logged considerable snaps with the team.
The 49ers struck gold when they selected Hufanga in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and San Francisco could go back to the well by drafting another PAC-12 safety in a similar range on Saturday. Utah’s Sione Vaki — a Bay Area native from Antioch, CA — plays with a similar grit and determination as Hufanga, flashing incredible athletic ability during his time with the Utes.
Vaki measured in at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, clocking a 4.62 40-yard dash while putting up 20 reps on the bench press at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. The 22-year-old’s skill set isn’t only confined to the defensive side of the ball, as Vaki also logged 42 rushing attempts in 2023, averaging 7.5 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns on the ground.
While Brown showed promise during his rookie campaign and Odum is a respected NFL veteran, the addition of a player like Vaki not only provides the 49ers insurance should there be any setbacks with Hufanga’s recovery timetable, but also opens the door for a strong rotation on the back end of a revamped secondary. This is a player who perfectly fits the mold of the culture Lynch and Shanahan have cultivated in San Francisco, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see him donning the red and gold before Saturday is over.
