Why the 49ers Didn't Take a Right Tackle in the NFL Draft

The 49ers will be rolling into training camp with Colton McKivitz and Matt Pryor as the starting right tackle options after not drafting one.

Right tackle was the clearest need for the San Francisco 49ers going into the NFL draft.

Well, if you look at the results of the draft for the 49ers, it really wasn't one. The 49ers did not take a right tackle nor any other offensive lineman in the draft. It was a bit of a surprise that not a single one was taken. Right tackles were tough for the 49ers to go after given that they were picking at the end of the third round, and that most of the tackle prospects were left tackles. It was slim pickings for the 49ers, so it makes sense why they didn't take a right tackle in the draft.

“There wasn’t one there that would fit." Kyle Shanahan said. "We would love to take an O-lineman, but it just, the draft didn’t work out that way.”

Ohio State's Dawand Jones and Old Dominion's Nick Saldiveri were the only players worth taking in round three for the 49ers. They potentially could have slid in to be an immediate starter, but it would have been a tall task. The 49ers are not in the business of being patient and developing rookies or young players this year. If you can't play and be ready to go for the jump, then they will not start you.

"I think even in the first round, in a year that was very limited, especially at the tackle position, a lot of them went early," said John Lynch. "There was a huge run early that affected, it starts at the top and it’s a trickle down or up, or whatever you call it, effect and that happened. So, we weren’t going to take one just to take one.”

It doesn't happen too often, but I agree with the logic of Shanahan and Lynch. There wasn't a fit and it makes no sense to draft one just because. Refraining from drafting a right tackle is also giving a vote of confidence on Colton McKivitz. It's definitely a sizable risk to have him compete and be the presumed starter given his lack of experience, but he has been with the 49ers for some time now. They know what he is capable of and most likely gave him a plan this offseason to work on some things so he could be ready to go to vie for the starting right tackle role.

"You can win with Colton," said Shanahan. "He’s been here for a while. When he has played we have won games with him. He did a hell of a job last year, or two years ago getting into the playoffs when he had to start unexpectedly against the Rams in Week 17 I think. But I look at Colton very similar to how Jake [Brendel] was last year. We felt very good about Jake, but you never know until they get out there a ton, and you look in the draft to add depth and you always want to if there’s someone there that falls in that you think can beat out your starter, that’s really a good pick, but it’s not easy to find a guy, a pick 99 or later that can beat out Colton McKivitz, just like you don’t just find anyone for Jake Brendel last year."

Comparing McKivitz to Brendel is a fair comparison. The only difference is offensive tackle is a more impactful and influential position. A comparison that I like here is Brock Purdy to Trey Lance. Rather than draft a rookie who the 49ers view as a variable and has to develop, they'd rather go with the guy who they already know their strengths and weaknesses who has a bit of experience in McKivitz. Lance in this case is the rookie, while Purdy is the guy who the 49ers have seen already. The 49ers view the rookie and Lance as backtracking from McKivitz and Purdy who are already ahead of the game.

"So, when you have guys who’ve played and you practice with a lot, and you have an idea about them, I get how not everyone else knows about them as much, because they haven’t seen them, but I mean we were going to that draft hoping to find depth and hoping to find some competition, but to go into that draft and think you’re going to find someone to start over someone like Colton, or as good as Colton can be and has been, would be very unusual.”

The options to replace Mike McGlinchey were always nonexistent in free agency given the 49ers salary cap space, and nonexistent in the draft given their draft picks. For their sake, McKivitz has to be an adequate starter.