The San Francisco 49ers made the necessary choice to upgrade their defensive unit with the selection of Mykell Williams at No. 11 in the 2025 NFL draft. Looking back, though, would they have done it again? Surely not, considering he tore his ACL after nine games and just one sack.
But then, who would the 49ers have taken if they had the gift of foresight? Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport made the easy pick here and chose Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka, who ended up going No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in real life.
Emeka Egbuka came roaring out of the gate last year before fading over the second half of his rookie season. But Egbuka posted three 100-yard games as a rookie and had an equal number of contests with double-digit catches.
Egbuka faded last year because his targets dropped. He’s absolutely capable of being the No. 1 wide receiver for an NFL offense—and the Niners need all the help at the position they can get.
This pick also makes a lot of sense when you consider the 49ers would have known Brandon Aiyuk would never suit up for the team again. Without a star WR1, the 49ers were left with Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne and oft-injured Ricky Pearsall. Adding Egbuka to that mix would have been a tremendous get for San Francisco.
Instead, the 49ers are left with a receiver room full of young developmental players and aging stars. Mike Evans and Christian Kirk are the top targets for Brock Purdy, with Pearsall and 2025 second-rounder De’Zhaun Stribling as the other potential starters on the outside.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2025 NFL draft: 49ers take Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka in re-draft
