Do the 49ers Have to Draft an Offensive Tackle with their First Pick?

Great offensive tackles are about as rare as great quarterbacks.

Mar 2, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks (OL01) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 49ers have lost nine starters and counting this offseason, so they have needs all over their roster.

You could make a convincing argument that they should spend their first-round pick on a defensive tackle or a defensive end or a linebacker or a cornerback or a safety. Even a wide receiver.

You also could make an argument that the 49ers absolutely have to take an offensive tackle. As in they have no choice.

Here's the argument.

Elite offensive tackles are extremely hard to acquire. They almost never last beyond the top 15 picks in a draft, they almost never reach free agency and they almost never get traded (the obvious exceptions are Trent Williams and Laremy Tunsil).

The 49ers haven't picked in the top 15 since 2021. They might not pick this high again for years. So this is their best and possibly only chance to get an excellent offensive tackle for quite some time.

Meanwhile, elite defensive linemen get traded frequently. So do elite wide receivers. Which means it's easier to find great players at those positions because there are so many great D-linemen and receivers.

Great offensive tackles are about as rare as great quarterbacks. That's why almost all the 49ers' best offensive tackles for the past 15 years have been first-round picks.

So if Kelvin Banks from Texas falls to the 11th pick, I don't see how the 49ers can pass on him. He could be an elite left guard or right tackle until Trent Williams retires, and then Banks can replace him.

Hard to find players like that.

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