The 49ers enter the 2023 NFL Draft from a position of strength.
Although the 49ers lost 11 contributing players through free agency, they accomplished enough with their eight additions to fill a complete 53-man roster.
As the three-day draft approaches, the 49ers hold 11 draft picks. There should be opportunities for a couple of their picks to challenge for starting jobs or provide key roles in a rotation.
Others could bump veterans off the 53-man roster and be called upon to fill backup spots and take on special-teams responsibilities.
The 49ers traded away their own picks in the first three rounds to acquire Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey, but they get rolling with compensatory picks at the end of the third round.
Here are positions and players the 49ers could target with their first six selections through five rounds of the draft:
1. Round 3, No. 99 - Byron Young
San Francisco 49ers
Position: Edge
School: Tennessee
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 250 pounds
It is always a safe bet to project the 49ers selecting a defensive lineman early in the draft. One year after the 49ers chose edge rusher Drake Jackson, they could go back for seconds.
Young registered 12.5 sacks in his 23 games at Tennessee. He fits nicely into the D-line rotation to give the 49ers a little more juice as a pass rusher. Free-agent departure Samson Ebukam never provided much opposite of Nick Bosa, so this is one area where the 49ers can be improved from a year ago.
Young, 25, is mature. He is an explosive athlete, who ran a blazing 4.43 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He likes to get up the field, and he could gain a lot from working with 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
2. Round 3, No. 101 - Wanya Morris
Position: Offensive tackle
School: Oklahoma
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 307 pounds
The 49ers feel good about Colton McKivitz taking over at right tackle for Mike McGlinchey, who signed a lucrative free-agent contract with the Denver Broncos. But the 49ers should look to select an offensive tackle for line coach Chris Foerster to mold.
Morris is a very good athlete who should adapt well to the 49ers' zone-blocking scheme. He also has good arm length to serve as an asset in pass protection. Morris, named after the Boyz II Men singer of the same name, is the pick. Thank you in advance.
He could challenge for the role as the team's swing tackle and, eventually, work into a starting role.
3. Round 3, No. 102 - Luke Schoonmaker
Position: Tight end
School: Michigan
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 251 pounds
The 49ers currently have three tight ends under contract: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley. It is time for them to invest in a draft pick who can serve as a well-rounded backup.
Schoonmaker has good size and athleticism. He finished his college career with 35 receptions for 418 yards and three touchdowns in his final season in Ann Arbor. This figures to be a strong year for tight ends chosen in the middle portion of the draft, and Schoonmaker is the best fit for the 49ers.
4. Round 5, No. 155 - Jake Moody
Position: Kicker
School: Michigan
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 209 pounds
Robbie Gould announced before the start of free agency that he was moving on from the 49ers, and the 49ers have since moved on from Gould with the trade to acquire veteran Zane Gonzalez from the Carolina Panthers.
But Gonzalez, whose past two seasons have been marred by injuries, is likely to face stiff competition to enter the regular season as the team's kicker. The 49ers could go from "Good as Gould" to "Money Moody."
In field-goal attempts inside 50 yards, Moody was 65 of 74 (87.8 percent) in his college career. He hit a personal-best 59-yarder in Michigan's loss to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. With his strong leg, Moody would provide a boost to special teams on kickoffs.
5. Round 5, No. 164 - Jay Ward
Position: Safety
School: LSU
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 188 pounds
Jimmie Ward is now with the Houston Texans. Jay Ward is the kind of player the 49ers will target to replace him due to his fearless playing style, leadership, toughness and versatility to play a lot of different positions in the defensive backfield.
There is no pressure for Ward to play immediately because the 49ers appear set with Tashaun Gipson and Talanoa Hufanga as the starters. Ward will make an impact on special teams while new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and his staff find the right fit.
6. Round 5, No. 173 - Cory Trice
Position: Cornerback
School: Purdue
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 206 pounds
Trice fits the mold of the bigger, more-physical cornerback, such as Richard Sherman, which as so successful for the Seattle Seahawks during their "Legion of Boom" days.
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Trice has versatility in the defensive backfield, but his best fit appears to be on the outside, where he can use his physicality to re-route wide receivers with his press coverage and throw off the timing of the quarterback.
With his size, arm length and explosive broad jump, Trice has the physical tools that should provide good starting points for his transition into a solid NFL career.