49ers Draft Capsule: Offensive Tackle

This is the first in a series of draft capsules breaking down positions by tier, starting up front with offensive tackle.

A Day 1 starting tackle is likely out of reach, so a 2024 starter is the target.

Tier 1: Day 1 Starters:
Top 10 Paris Johnson (Ohio St) 6-6/316
Top 10 Peter Skoronski (Northwestern) 6-4/313
Top 20 Broderick Jones (Georgia) 6-5/313
Mid-to-late 1st Anton Harrison (Oklahoma) 6-6/315
Mid-to-late 1st Darnell Wright (Tennessee) 6-5/333
Late 1st-early 2nd Dawand Jones (Ohio St) 6-8/374

The Niners can’t trade into the first round unless they move a player, which seems unlikely. If the Niners just offered picks to move up, my projected highest offer the team would consider is two third-round picks and next year’s 2nd, which gets to the 40s. The Tier 1 tackles the Niners would target are taken in the first round.

Tier 2: Trade Up Targets/Hope They Fall to No. 99:

This draft lacks first-round talent, evaluators have 15-20 first-round grades in this class. That elevates the remaining draft pool and there’s a talent cliff around No. 50. So from No. 50 to No. 99 where the Niners pick, with talent lower than normal teams may turn to positional value. If so, some tackles will go early and not last to No. 99.

Top 60 Matthew Bergeron (Syracuse) 6-5/318
Pro: Big size, strong hands, balance, lateral agility. Creates chunk plays.
Con: Gave up five sacks and 12 pressures. Difficulty vs. speed rushers and he's inconsistent to the 2nd level. He didn’t run a 40 at the Combine or his pro day. His game lacks violence. Worth a trade up? Not for the price to get to the mid-2nd round. He wouldn’t be BPA.

Top 75 Cody Mauch (North Dakota State) 6-5/302
The draft buzz is Mauch will have to move inside given his smaller frame. Arms under 33 and a wingspan under 79. He’s projected for the top 75, but as an interior lineman.

Top 100 Wanya Morris (Oklahoma) 6-5/307
Pro: 35-plus arms, 5.1 speed, powerful legs to anchor well. Good showing at the Senior Bowl. Gave up two sacks and eight pressures this year.
Con: Inconsistent performance, his technique needs to be cleaned up, overrelies on his length. Injured running the 40 at the Combine. He will have his own Pro Day on April 11th, a great performance will move him up the board.
Worth a trade up or a pick in 3rd? Yes, he has the length and athleticism the Niners want at right tackle and the trade price would be reasonable.

Top 100 Blake Freeland (BYU) 6-7/302
Pro: No sacks against, seven pressures. Great athlete (track, basketball) tested well at Indy and his pro day. 4.98 40, 4.42 shuttle, 120 broad jump. Solid combo blocker in run game, gets to 2nd level, strong hands. Experience in zone blocking system, he's played at left and right tackle.
Con: Leverage issues in pass pro given his height, overrelies on arms. 25 bench reps pro day, lacks NFL-ready strength.
Worth a trade up or a pick in 3rd? Yes, another athletic tackle that fits the system.

Tier 3: Early Day 3:

Tyler Steen (Alabama) 6-6/321
Pro: Technically sound, strong base, good hands and kick slide. Two sacks against. Benched 31 reps and ran a quick 4.5 shuttle at the Combine.
Con: Gave up 23 pressures and had six penalties. Arms under 33. Lacks pop and violence.
Worth one of the picks in the third? I like his skillset, but the Niners may pass due to arms and pop.

Jaelyn Duncan (Maryland) 6-6/306
Pro: Aggressive violent style, fast, tested well at Indy, 4.95 40, 113 broad jump. Gets to 2nd level quickly.
Con: His pass pro numbers are brutal, seven sacks, 28 pressures, ten penalties. Larger concern, he didn’t play his best in big games.
Worth a pick? No. Too vulnerable in pass pro.

Carter Warren (Pittsburgh) 6-5/316
Pro: Long with a big wingspan, mean streak violence to his game, good feet in run and pass pro, mirrors well. His weaknesses are coachable in technique, he has solid traits.
Con: Leverage issues, he also has a history of holding calls.
Worth a pick: Yes, but he doesn’t fit where they pick. Late 4th to early 5th-round grade, but the Niners have no picks between No. 102 and No. 157. They’d need a trade into the late 4th for Warren.

Warren McClendon (Georgia) 6-4/306
Pro: Outstanding production against the nation’s best, no sacks and eight pressures. Long with great feet.
Con: Undersized but the larger issue is no pop, violence, or power. Only 20 bench reps at his pro day.
Worth a pick: No, too far away from NFL size and strength at tackle. To quote Charles Barkley, “I know these schools have weight rooms.”

Nick Saldiveri (Old Dominion) 6-6/318
Rising on boards but as an interior lineman, the draft buzz is he lacks the athleticism/core strength mix for tackle and will need to move inside in the NFL.

Tier 4: Late Day 3

Late sleepers: Trevor Reid (Louisville) 6-4/311

Late to football and still gaining technique and power, has upside and tested well. Jake Witt (Northern Michigan) 6-7/302, 4.89 40, and led all tackles with a 123 broad jump. Demontrey Jacobs (USF) 6-6/311, a big ball of clay, huge hands, 36+ arms, and raw.

Prediction:
No trade up, they can’t get into the first. Maybe a small trade up for Wanya Morris if he has an impressive pro day on the 11th. My expectation is the Niners hope Morris or Blake Freeland falls to them. Either one is great value and a fit. If not, they may kick the tires on Steen. The player I like is Pitt’s Carter Warren if they move into the late 4th round.