Upgrades abound in NFC West edition of first-round 2024 mock draft

Los Angeles Rams Round 1, Pick No. 19 - TE Brock Bowers, Georgia

This being the first first-round selection under Sean McVay, it's only right that it includes them adding an offensive weapon. There is speculation that Bowers goes top-10, but I do think the early selection of Kyle Pitts will strike some fear into teams taking another TE that early in the draft. I believe the Rams serve as the beneficiary of that and add Bowers. We know McVay loves to get his tight ends involved in the play-action game, not to mention Bowers' value as a run blocker.

San Francisco 49ers first round

San Francisco 49ers Round 1, Pick No. 20 (via PIT) - CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson

Brandon Aiyuk has expressed his frustrations publicly and similar to what we saw with A.J. Brown, he gets traded on night one of the draft.

With the 20th pick, I believe the 49ers address their secondary and select CB Nate Wiggins out of Clemson. At 6'1", Wiggins possesses the ideal size for an outside cornerback. His 4.28 40 time at the combine displayed his incredible speed that allows him to make up for lost yardage in coverage. If there is any weakness of this stout defense, it's in the backend. His man-coverage skills will blend well with one of the best pass rushes in the entire NFL.

San Francisco 49ers Round 1, Pick No. 31 - WR Troy Franklin, Oregon

One of the reasons the 49ers move off Aiyuk is because of the depth at the wide receiver position in this draft. With their original first-round pick, they select WR Troy Franklin out of Oregon, who will serve as a great compliment to Deebo Samuel. While he doesn't have the route presence that Aiyuk has, he runs just as good a slant route as any receiver in this class. Under the tutelage of Kyle Shanahan, Franklin can carve out a big niche in this offense.

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