How 49ers can use three Day 2 draft picks to fill out roster

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The free-agent signing period has slowed to a trickle.

The 49ers’ big need was in the secondary, and they struck quickly with the signing of former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt, a long-time starter, remains unsigned as a free agent. Two other starters departed in free agency. Defensive tackle D.J. Jones signed with the Denver Broncos and offensive guard Laken Tomlinson is now with the New York Jets.

The next opportunity for the 49ers to add front-line players to their roster comes during the 2022 NFL Draft, scheduled for Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30.

The 49ers do not have a pick scheduled for the first round. But they can be expected to address positions of need with their three selections on Day 2.

This is how they could come up with three players who could turn into significant contributors:

Second round (No. 61 overall)

Talanoa Hufanga, Tarvarius Moore and George Odum are the safeties who figure to compete for the job alongside free safety Jimmie Ward.

The 49ers’ first selection in the draft sets up well to get the top remaining safety -- a player who could earn his way into the starting lineup and remain there for a while.

The two top safeties — Kyle Hamilton of Notre Dame and Dax Hill of Michigan — will be long gone. And there’s a good chance Jalen Pitre of Baylor will be off the board by the time the 49ers go on the clock.

However, the 49ers might have a legitimate shot at selecting either Lewis Cine of Georgia or Jaquan Brisker of Penn State.

Briskier (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) has 4.49 speed and the versatility to perform at a high level near the line of scrimmage or in coverage against tight ends.

Third round (No. 93 overall)

The 49ers already have a solid rotation of defensive linemen with 10 players on the roster who can make the club’s 53-man roster. They need one more edge rusher to serve as a complement to star defensive end Nick Bosa and presumptive starter Samson Ebukam.

They should still have some options in the third round, including Michigan’s David Ojabo, who sustained a torn Achilles during his March 18 pro day. If Ojabo is still there when the 49ers select, he might rate as a great investment. His rehab could take as little as six months. Realistically, any team that selects him could get him for half of his rookie season.

The 49ers could select an edge player in the third round who would be worked onto the field as a rotational player for hard-charging defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. Either Kingsley Engabare of South Carolina or Myjai Sanders of Cincinnati would be a nice fit in this spot.

Third round (No. 105 overall)

The 49ers traded back several spots in the second round last year and ended up selecting guard Aaron Banks. After playing just five snaps of offense as a rookie, Banks is being counted on to slide into Tomlinson’s old spot at left guard this season.

The 49ers could again look to add an interior offensive lineman on Day 2 of the draft.

RELATED: Where 49ers stand in NFC Power Rankings ahead of draft

The 49ers have not said with any certainty whether veteran Alex Mack will be back for his 14th NFL season. In any case, the team should plan to add his eventual replacement. They could select a player with experience at center, train a guard to become a center or, perhaps, move guard Daniel Brunskill to center.

Two players for the 49ers to consider late on Day 2 of the draft are Dylan Parham of Memphis and Cameron Jurgens of Nebraska.

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