Why two former 49ers believe S Jimmie Ward would be a good pick-up for San Francisco
“Jimmie Ward, one thing about him is that he was a corner before he was a safety,” Willis said. “He has the ability to cover. With his veteran leadership, I think that would be big with the guys that they still have on the team.”

Whitner doesn’t appear to think Ward can bring as much to the field at this point in his career. But he does believe Ward could be valuable, as a mentor to some of the young 49ers defensive backs.

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“Well, the only thing I see wrong with it, he’s 34 years old,” Whitner said. “Always been like that coach on the field. He understands the game of football. He can be a great mentor to Upton Stout, who plays the nickel position, who’s about his size, to Malik Mustapha, to Ji’Ayir Brown. So if you’re going to have Jimmie Ward around, I say you keep him on practice squad. I say you let that professionalism rub off on those young guys in there.”

Why Luke Kuechly believes ‘ultra-competitive’ Mike Evans will fit in with 49ers 
“We always had a tremendous amount of respect for each other and that’s what I always liked about Mike,” Kuechly said. “He is ultra-competitive and he wants to win but he has a ton of respect for not only the game but for the other guys that play and he does it the right way.

The 49ers are known for having a close-knit locker room and Kuechly believes that Evans has the right mentality to be welcomed quickly. The receiver will also help provide leadership in a young and inexperienced receiver room.

“I just like Mike too, he’s a great guy and you guys got a good one,” Kuechly said. “I think he’s going to come in and fit in right away and I think he just wants to win. At the end of the day, he wants to win.”

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49ers take Caleb Lomu. Again. In another NFL.com mock draft 
“Look, I don’t hate Lomu as a prospect. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the pass protection is real, and that matters. But here’s the wrinkle — this is Kyle Shanahan’s offense. The run game isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the whole foundation. Outside zone, wide zone, the stuff that makes the offense hum — it all runs through the offensive line. And if Lomu’s run blocking is still a work in progress, you’re essentially drafting a first-round tackle who isn’t ready to do one of the most important jobs a tackle has in this specific system. That’s not nothing.

And look, we’ve been over the scouting report before, but it’s worth repeating in this context: NFL.com’s own profile notes he’s still learning to find lateral landmarks in the run game and can lose his positioning fitting run blocks. In a Kyle Shanahan outside zone system where that precision isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s the whole point — “still learning” is doing a lot of heavy lifting for a first-round pick.

Maybe it gets developed. Maybe Shanahan works his magic. But “high upside to develop” is a phrase that sounds better in April than it does in October when the run game is sputtering.”