Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron is the 49ers latest pick in a mock draft. He’s a versatile defender who can play multiple spots in the secondary.
On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers finally upgraded at right tackle in ESPN’s latest mock draft. Today, we’ll look at NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft now that the primary waves of free agency are concluded.
Let’s look at the first ten picks before we see who the Niners selected
- Titans – Cam Ward – QB
- Browns – Abdul Carter – Edge Rusher
- Giants – Shedeur Sanders – QB
- Patriots – Travis Hunter – WR/CB
- Jaguars – Jalon Walker – Edge Rusher
- Raiders – Ashton Jeanty – RB
- Jets – Armand Membou – RT
- Panthers – Mason Graham – DT
- Saints – Jihaad Campbell – LB
- Bears – Will Campbell – OT
Membou, the 49ers pick on Tuesday, falling outside of the top ten does not feel realistic, given his skill set, traits, and dominance of the top SEC pass rushers. The Niners stick in the SEC but find Charvarius Ward’s replacement:
Pick 11 San Francisco 49ers Jahdae Barron Texas · CB · Senior
The 49ers’ defense has seen a lot of departures this offseason, including at cornerback. Barron is one of the most consistent players on tape among prospects in this year’s class and he can take the ball away. He’ll be able to match up against some of the talented slot receivers in the division.
Texas was loaded on both sides of the ball, and Barron is no exception. At 5’11” with 29/ 5/8” arms, he’d go against the prototypical cornerback the 49ers have used on the outside with Richard Sherman and Mooney, but Saleh also had success with Jason Verrett, and we’ve seen Deommodore Lenoir, who is smaller than Barron, hold his own against just about anybody he lines up against.
When I watch Barron, I get Brian Branch vibes. Branch was listed around the same size when he entered the NFL Draft in 2023. However, he lasted until the 45th pick. Barron ran a 4.39 40-yard dash compared to Branch’s 4.58.
In 2024, Barron played 118 special teams snaps, including covering kicks. That’ll help his value. The Longhorns were comfortable playing Barron out wide at cornerback, as 500 of his 739 defensive snaps came on the perimeter at cornerback.
Part of the reason Barron reminded me of Branch was that, on the other snaps, Barron would say, “Where’s Waldo?” He’d line up in the box at linebacker, in the slot at safety, walking around near the line of scrimmage, you name it.
Barron ranks 16th overall on the consensus big board. PFF has his seventh overall. Texas was primarily a Cover 3/quarters team, and that highlighted Barron’s high-level zone instincts — another trait he shares with Branch.
Barron allowed a passer rating of 34.2 on 68 targets in 2024. He did not allow a touchdown and had five interceptions. Barron’s talented enough to play anywhere in the secondary and would allow Robert Saleh to have a chess piece or a “matchup” type of player to move around.
How would you feel about Barron in the first round? Scroll down and let us know in the comments.
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