The 49ers head to Indianapolis this week with a lot of draft picks — 10 total — and with plenty of intrigue about their roster.
Here are the biggest questions they’ll be asking themselves — and we’ll be asking them — at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
1. Who are John Lynch’s dinner guests?
While the combine is ostensibly where teams learn about draft prospects, it’s really the spot where business deals get done. Or at least get started. During the 2014 combine, for instance, the 49ers’ brass prominently sat down at Shula’s Steak House with Colin Kaepernick’s agents. The dinner meeting was the first step toward a six-year extension that was ratified two and half months later. Will Lynch and chief negotiator Paraag Marathe have a similar sitdown with Kyle Strongin, who represents Brock Purdy? What about Jack Bechta, George Kittle’s agent? Perhaps the biggest question in Indianapolis is whether the 49ers’ offseason business — a major distraction for the franchise in 2024 — has gotten underway.
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2. What does a higher cap mean for Dre Greenlaw?
The NFL informed teams last week that the 2025 salary cap will fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, which will be at least $22.1 million more than last year’s cap and a bigger jump than teams were anticipating. Does that increase the chances the 49ers can sign some of their own free agents, in particular linebacker Dre Greenlaw? The 49ers still have two and a half weeks to negotiate exclusively with Greenlaw. As it stands now, they have plenty of cap space — more than $45 million — although several defense-needy teams who might have interest in Greenlaw have more, including the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.
3. What kind of tender will Jordan Mason get?
Mason will be one of the most interesting restricted free agents on the market. He showed last season he can be a starting tailback — he averaged 5.2 yards a carry — and he’s only 25 without much wear and tear. On the other hand, this is expected to be an uncommonly deep draft at running back and teams looking for tailbacks may be eyeing a rookie. What approach will San Francisco take with Mason? The one-year tender amounts are expected to be around $7.5 million (first-round compensation), $5.4 million (second round) and $3.3 million (right of first refusal). Or the 49ers can decline to tender him and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Jordan Mason proved to be valuable last season, but how valuable? (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)
4. Which running backs will fly in the 40?
The 49ers always are looking for speedy running backs and this year’s deep class has several candidates. Keep an eye on the 40-yard dash times for Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson, Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten, Texas’ Jaydon Blue and Syracuse’s LeQuint Allen. If any of them post times similar to what fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo ran a year ago, it will immediately catch the 49ers’ attention.
5. Where does the team stand on Jake Moody?
The last time Kyle Shanahan spoke about Moody, back on Dec. 26, he made it sound as if the kicker were set to return. “I think he’s made of the right stuff just from a mental standpoint and everything,” Shanahan said. “And I think he has all the tools to be a great kicker in this league.” If those words were meant to give the struggling Moody an end-of-season confidence boost, it didn’t work. He missed three of his last four field goal attempts, one extra point and had an ugly onside kick in the final two weeks. His 70.6 field goal mark in 2024, one of the worst in the NFL, begs the question of whether Shanahan and incoming special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will continue on with the former third-round pick.
6. How long are Armand Membou’s arms?
Membou, a tackle out of Missouri, is a person of interest for the 49ers when it comes to their first-round pick. He’s strong, agile, has faced top competition and plays a position San Francisco hasn’t drafted in the first round since 2018. But how long are his arms? There were conflicting numbers coming out of last month’s Senior Bowl, where Membou was a scratch due to an illness. The combine measurement is what all teams use anyway, and the 49ers will be eager to see if Membou’s levers meet the 34-inch mark they prefer for tackles. The draft appears to be full of tackle-guard tweeners, and the measurements for players such as LSU’s Will Campbell and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. also will be noteworthy.
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7. What is the medical update for Josh Simmons?
Another tackle with question marks is Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who suffered a patellar tendon injury in October and missed the rest of the season. He has the smooth footwork the 49ers like in their tackles and had been playing like the top tackle in the class before getting hurt. That injury, however, is significant. The timeline for Simmons returning to top form will determine when he gets drafted.
8. What’s Drake Jackson’s status?
Speaking of patellar injuries, that’s the issue that kept former second-round pick Jackson off the field for the 2024 season. The draft will have good edge rushers. The 49ers might want to land one or two, especially if Jackson is iffy.
9. How will Mason Graham test?
A dream scenario for the 49ers: If Michigan’s Graham, who is widely considered the top defensive tackle in the draft, falls out of the top 10 and is available to San Francisco at pick No. 11. While his tape is top notch — including against the run — he might not be the type who excels at the so-called Underwear Olympics. Graham has a stubby build and some prospects are more athletic. If his numbers are merely ho-hum, will that be a turn-off for teams picking in the top 10? The 49ers are crossing their fingers that happens.
10. What will be Gus Bradley’s role?
The 49ers have yet to announce their revamped coaching staff, so Bradley’s role and title are unknown. With Brandon Staley being hired as the New Orleans Saints’ new defensive coordinator, the 49ers’ assistant head coach title that Staley had in 2024 is expected to go to Bradley. But what does that mean in practical terms? At his end-of-season news conference, Shanahan said he wanted the defense to be able to pivot should it run into injuries like it did in 2024. Perhaps that will be what Bradley and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh concentrate on this offseason — figuring out blitz packages that mesh with their defensive system.
(Top photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
