The draft is less than a month away, the pro days are in full swing, and team visits are reported daily. Eyebrows are raised, and writing utensils (a stylus counts) move across the (digital) page.

In every mock draft, fans look to see whether their team took someone at a position of need and get frustrated when they don't, even when someone who fits that description is still available. But there is another important part of that scenario: scheme fit.


Today, I am going to look at the offensive line—all three of the positions that are upgradeable on the 49ers. Let's start with the offensive tackles.

The 49ers run a zone-blocking scheme that requires a lot of athleticism. They are also probably looking for someone who can take over for Trent Williams when he retires—that is, a left tackle.

A few players who have been mocked to the Niners are Utah's Caleb Lomu and Clemson's Blake Miller. Both are projected to be taken somewhere in the last 10 picks of the first round. Lomu played left tackle at Utah and is good in a zone scheme. Miller is solid and not scheme-dependent, but he is firmly a right tackle. I believe the Niners could use an upgrade over right tackle Colton McKivitz, but I also believe someone who can move to left tackle is more important.

Lomu would therefore be the better pick, and unless general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are dissatisfied with McKivitz, Miller would not make sense. They have shown no negative feelings about their current right tackle, even though his pass protection ranked toward the bottom of the league.

There is also the possibility of a project. Arizona State's Max Iheanachor has frequently been projected to be available when the 49ers pick. He has immense talent, but didn't play football until high school. He would probably take a year to get up to NFL speed. Are Lynch and Shanahan willing to wait that long? Is Jed York? Are the fans?


With the talent level he has—and therefore high ceiling—he would be preferable to Miller.

Going with a versatile prospect


There is also the possibility that the tackle the 49ers draft will be better as a guard. That is what happened with right guard Dominick Puni, and he has improved that side of the line.

This year, Northwestern's Caleb Tiernan figures to be one of those guys. One of San Francisco's biggest needs is a left guard. It might be worthwhile to draft someone who might play tackle but could improve the interior line, if needed (or preferred). Tiernan might be there in the second round.

Alabama's Kadyn Proctor would be the most useful in this regard, as he is a true left tackle with immense talent, but is projected by several pundits as a guard in the NFL. I have seen Proctor many times, and he has the talent to be a very good left tackle, but might dominate at left guard.

Unfortunately, he is usually projected to go five to eight spots ahead of where the Niners pick, but if he falls far enough, might Lynch trade up?


Is Chase Bisontis an option?


The guards, as a group, have some good players, but several of them—Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon and Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutledge among them—aren't that good in a zone scheme. Even Penn State's Vega Ioane, consistently rated the best offensive guard in the class, is not a good fit for Shanahan's system.

Texas A&M's Chase Bisontis, however, is strong in that area. He is generally projected to be taken in the early second round. Is the 27th pick too early? Maybe so, but the Dallas Cowboys drafted Travis Frederick in the late first round in 2013, were widely criticized for taking him that early, and ended up with a player who went to five Pro Bowls.

A solid center/guard option


At center, there are a lot of promising prospects. Kansas State's Sam Hecht and Duke's Brian Parker are both scheme versatile, but Parker can also play guard. He would be the way to go. (Auburn's Conner Lew is often considered the best center in the class, and he can play in a zone scheme, but ... he has been injured. Noooooooo! No injured players, please!)

Conclusion


I love the draft, and I am always hoping for offensive linemen. Because of Trent Williams' contract issues and the fact that he will be 38 when this season begins, many are projecting a tackle to the Niners in the first round. We shall see. It doesn't fit Lynch's MO. But if he does go offensive tackle, I hope it is someone who fits what Shanahan likes to do.

My preference of the tackles would be Proctor first and Lomu next, or Tierman if the 49ers wait until the second round. I would actually not be upset if Lynch "reached" and took Bisontis (and quite pleased if the Niners traded back three or four spots and got their third-round pick back.)


Guard is the least sexy position in football. This pick would be criticized at that spot.

But better guard play would probably have won the Niners a Super Bowl a few years ago. And that kind of impact can come from any position on the field.

Written By:

Jack Stewart


Jack Stewart was educated at Alabama and Emory and was a Brittain Fellow at Georgia Tech. His poetry has been published widely in the US and several other countries. His book No Reason was published in the Poeima Poetry Series in 2020.
All articles by Jack Stewart


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