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Is Tyler Warren the Perfect Draft Pick for the 49ers in Round 1?

The 49ers probably should draft an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman in the first round of the upcoming draft. But this is Kyle Shanahan we're talking about.
Grant Cohn|
Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) makes a touchdown catch over Boise State Broncos safety Ty Benefield (0) during the second half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) makes a touchdown catch over Boise State Broncos safety Ty Benefield (0) during the second half in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers probably should draft an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman in the first round of the upcoming draft. But this is Kyle Shanahan we're talking about, and he likes players who score touchdowns.

That's why The Athletic's Matt Barrows expects the 49ers to draft Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the 11th pick.

"Yes, there are bigger needs along San Francisco’s offensive and defensive lines, but Kyle Shanahan would have a hard time turning down a chess piece like Warren," writes Barrows. "With one versatile weapon, Deebo Samuel, likely on his way out and another, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, approaching his 33rd birthday, Shanahan could be craving someone he can line up all over the field.

"That Warren is big and physical enough to play inline also could save George Kittle some of those snaps and prolong his career. For years, the 49ers have been eying an Aaron Hernandez-Rob Gronkowski-like personnel group. A Kittle-Warren duo? That would drive defensive coordinators mad."

Barrows makes an excellent case for drafting Warren who very well could be the best player available when the 49ers are on the clock. Still, the 49ers could have all the best offensive weapons in the league, and they'll never beat the current iteration of the Philadelphia Eagles until they drastically improve their offensive line.

For what it's worth, I don't think Eagles general manager Howie Roseman would draft Warren with the 11th pick. I think he would take an offensive lineman or a defensive lineman. And he's the absolute best. Shanahan could learn a thing or two from him.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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