It appears the 49ers are all but certain to select an offensive lineman with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. Which offensive lineman that is depends on the mock draft, but the pick for San Francisco in Dane Brugler’s post-combine projection might make the most sense of any name so far.
Brugler has seven offensive tackles going before the 49ers are on the clock, leaving them to pick Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
While there may be more athletic tackles with a higher overall upside in the class, Brugler points out how Morgan can help solve a short-term and long-term problem for San Francisco thanks to his inside-outside versatility.
Via the Athletic:
The eighth offensive tackle taken in this mock, Morgan is an ideal scheme fit for San Francisco. But he also makes timeline sense, because he offers versatility on the line despite having only played left tackle in college. Morgan can help fill in at guard or right tackle right away and potentially be the long-term plan on the left side whenever Trent Williams decides to hang ‘em up.
This would be the ideal first-round choice for the 49ers. They need help at both right tackle and right guard. Adding Morgan would allow them the flexibility to play him at either spot, giving them a wider array of options when assembling their roster. The 49ers can also decide where he plays based on what free agency yields. If they land a sure-fire starting guard in the open market, Morgan could slot in at right tackle for 2024. If they want to roll with Colton McKivitz again, or if they find a free agent option they like at RT, Morgan can just slot in at guard.
Then there’s the long-term solution for how they can fill the void when Williams retires. It may be that they have to dedicate major resources to finding his replacement. Adding Morgan though would mean potentially replacing Williams via a late first-round pick and taking that tall task of their plate at some point in the next few years.
If the 49ers can answer both of their big offensive line questions with one pick, it’s hard to argue against that selection regardless of what kind of player falls to them at No. 31.
