The Key Day for the 49ers at the Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine wraps up today with the main event for the 49ers – offensive line testing. The 49ers have met with 19 O linemen at all-star games and the Combine.
Last year with a need at tight end and a loaded group, the Niners met with most of the draft class. This year they are on the path to doing the same at offensive tackle, which should give hope to jaded fans fearing the Niners would pass on tackle yet again.
The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami reports that he’s heard a rumor the Niners want to move up in the draft for a “plug-and-play offensive tackle.” This year the talent warrants a trade up, and the Niners will need to find a tackle capable of replacing Trent Williams soon. This may be when the Niners pull the trigger on a long-overdue move.
The price would be steep. The 49ers’ first two picks can get them to Pittsburgh at 20 according to the draft trade charts, with the Steelers adding a 5th-rounder. Any move higher in the draft would require the Niners to give up more picks.
Whether the Steelers would be interested in a move down is to be determined. What’s interesting though is that the Niners have not met with a player at the Combine who could reasonably be projected to go at their second-round selection, pick 63 overall.
CENTER
The 49ers have met with just one of the draft’s top four centers, Duke’s Graham Barton. While he played tackle, the widespread consensus is his best position in the NFL is center. Nfl.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein says Barton is a perfect fit for the Shanahan offense. Players the Niners have met with are marked by a *.
20s-late 1st) Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon) Explosive, powerful, good not great speed.
Late 20s-early 2nd) *Graham Barton (Duke) Great feet and want-to, technically sound, smart.
Early-to-mid 2nd) Zach Frazier (West Virginia) Ex-wrestler core strength and leverage, ok speed.
Late 2nd-early 3rd) Hunter Nourzad (Penn St) Ascending, moves well, no sacks against.
3rd) Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (Georgia) Motor, smart angles, core strength, lacks balance.
5th) *Tanor Bortolini (Wisconsin) Beat at Mobile practices, good feet, short arms.
GUARD
John Lynch has said the team wants to re-sign free agent Jon Feliciano. If so, he’s the starter with Spencer Burford as backup, and the team doesn’t draft a guard early.
Mid-2nd to 55) *Christian Haynes (UConn) Quick, efficient, nasty, plays too tall.
Mid-2nd to 55) Christian Mahogany (Boston College) Phone booth mauler, core power.
3rd) Cooper Beebe (K State) Good feet for size (6-4/335), great hands, lunges.
3rd) Dominick Puni (Kansas) ) Excellent feet, puller, striker, plays too high.
4th) *Isaiah Adams (Illinois) Explosive, pancakes guys, good feet, lacks technique.
Late 4th) Sataoa Laumea (Utah) Explosive, good feet, lacks NFL strength.
Late 5th) *Javion Cohen (Miami) Great feet, angles, but needs work on hands and leverage.
TACKLE
The focal point. The Niners haven’t met with the top two tackles Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu, projected for the top ten. However, they have met with nearly all of the first-round talent into the mid-2nd. The exception is Troy Fautanu.
Taliese Fuaga, Amarius Mims, and J.C. Latham are considered Day-1 starters and would fit the Kawakami rumor of a plug-and-play tackle. Latham has cut his weight down for the Combine but had a peak playing weight this year with Alabama at 365, too large for the Niners to be interested. How he tests in the 330s will be of interest to the league.
In my view, the targets are clear, Fuaga and Mims. But Fuaga goes so early the Niners would have to give up a treasure trove of picks to climb that high in the draft.
10-15) *Taliese Fuaga (Oregon St) Beast sends blockers flying, pass pro needs work.
15-20) *Amarius Mims (Georgia) Great feet, hitter, dominates. Injury risk 8 games started.
15-20) *J.C. Latham (Alabama) Huge size, toolsy, hands and balance need work.
20-28) Troy Fautanu (Washington) Quick, fires out, agile, may move to guard.
25-35) *Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) Great size, lacks NFL power, plays tall, may need to redshirt.
31-40) *Jordan Morgan (Arizona) Excellent pass pro, athletic feet, run game needs work.
Mid-2nd) *Kingsley Suamataia (BYU) Fast may run 4.9, lacks NFL power and technique.
Mid-to-late 2nd) *Patrick Paul (Houston) A giant ball of clay, raw, lacks fundamentals.
