The 49ers Draft Guard Connor Colby in Round 7

Next year, the 49ers will have to draft multiple starting offensive linemen who can play right away.

Iowa offensive lineman Connor Colby (77) speaks to reporters during Hawkeyes football media day, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. 210813 Ia Fb Media Players 012 Jpg | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

SANTA CLARA -- Finally, the 49ers draft an offensive lineman.

In Round 7 with pick No. 249, the 49ers pick Iowa guard Connor Colby. Colby is a good fit for the 49ers' offensive system because Iowa uses a zone-blocking scheme. He's also a good athlete who's fast and agile for a man his size.

Unfortunately, he also has extremely short arms for a man his size -- 32 inches to be exact. That means he might not make it as a guard in the NFL. For him to succeed, he might have to move to center, and that's a move that could take years. Fortunately for Colby, the 49ers are extremely patient when they develop young centers. They've been developing Nick Zakelj since 2022.

After the draft, general manager John Lynch was asked if he tried to draft an offensive lineman early or if he knew he'd have to wait to address the position. Lynch said that he certainly would have liked to take an offensive lineman earlier but that the draft board simply didn't fall in a way that allowed the 49ers to take one and they didn't want to force a pick, so they took other positions.

This is a poor excuse. Teams are allowed to trade up and down in drafts, and the 49ers did neither. They stood pat every time. That's passive, not aggressive.

Next year, the 49ers will have to draft multiple starting offensive linemen who can play right away.

Good luck with that.

Grade: C.