San Francisco 49ers' break from longtime habit in 2024 NFL Draft a vote of confidence in two recent picks

Much has been made of the fact the San Francisco 49ers did not draft an offensive tackle in a year in which it was arguably their biggest need.

San Francisco's decision in that regard puts a lot of pressure on right tackle Colton McKivitz to perform to a much higher standard than he did in his first season as the starter in 2023. On the opposite side of the trenches, however, there has been comparatively little talk about the Niners' decision to also ignore the defensive line prospects entirely.

For only the second time in a draft under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, the 49ers did not take a single defensive line prospect. The only other draft they have overseen in which that happened was in 2021.

Director of pro personnel RJ Gillen explained to reporters after the draft that the 49ers, having studied where the board was likely to go, made a conscious decision to build out their defensive line in free agency, which saw the signings of edge rushers Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott on two-year deals.

"I think with how we saw the board developing going into the draft and into draft meetings that where we were picking there were gaps in the board at that position," said Gillen. So that was a position we decided to attack pretty aggressively in free agency."

While the depth on the defensive line is much stronger than on the offensive line, the 49ers' decision not to draft an edge rusher puts the onus on two of their recent draft picks at that spot to make the leap.

Nick Bosa and Floyd will be the starters at defensive end in 2024 with Gross-Matos signed to play a role that makes the most of the inside-out versatility the 49ers believe they can harness more regularly than the Carolina Panthers.

That leaves 2022 second-round pick Drake Jackson and 2023 fifth-rounder Robert Beal Jr. as the leading rotational options behind that trio, with a rookie class shorn of picks at edge indicating a vote of confidence in that pair to live up to the 49ers' high opinion of them.

Of the two, Jackson is under the most pressure, and that is because of his draft status as the Niners' top selection two years ago and a return on that investment not reflective of his potential.