The 49ers, among others, attended Justin Fields pro day #2 today. This included John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, and QB coach Rick Scangarello. The little snippets look great. Then again, they SHOULD look great as there are no pads and no human missiles chasing him around.
Still and all, those deep passes dropped into tiny windows sure look awesome though.
Comments are closed.
Basically our 3rd rd picks are 4th rounders. But the 3rd day should be fun. It will all be worth it if Lance turns out to be what’s advertised. Bosa should get his contract and maybe Aiyuk too. I think Kinlaw gets kicked to the curb, hopefully we can get a 4th rounder for him. Once again I am all in on the Giants, definitely one of my favorite times of year.
49ers 2022 Schedule
All games Pacific time
Home games in bold
15-5
1 Chi 19 - SF 10
2 SF 27 - Sea 7
3 Den 11 - SF 10
4 SF 24 - LA 9
5 SF 37 - Carol 15
6 Atl 28 - SF 14
7 KC 44 - SF 23
8 SF 31 - LA 14
9 - BYE -
10 SF 22 - SD 16
11 SF 38 - AZ 10
12 SF 13 - NO 0
13 SF 33 - Miami 17
14 SF 35 - TB 7
15 SF 21 - Sea 13
16 SF 37 - Wash 20
17 SF 37 - LV 34
18 SF 38 - AZ 13
SF 41 - Sea 23
SF 19 - Dall 12
Fuck the Eagles
12-8
1: SF 41 – Det 33
2: SF 17 – Phi 11
3: GB 30- SF 28
4: Sea 28 – SF 21
5: AZ 17 – SF 10
6: Bye
7: Indy 30 – SF 18
8: SF 33 – Chi 22
9: AZ 31 – SF 17
10: SF 31 – LA 10
11: SF 30 – Jax 10
12: SF 34 – Minn 26
13: Sea 30 – SF 23
14: SF 26 – Cincy 23
15: SF 31 – Atl 13
16: Tenn 20 – SF 17
17: SF 23 – Hou 7
18: SF 27 – LAR 24
PLAYOFFS
SF 23 – Dal 17
SF 13 – GB 10
NFC Championship Game
LA 20 – SF 17
Fuck this
7 picks
6 – 10
1 AZ 24 – SF 20
2 SF 31 – NYJ 13
3 SF 36 – NYG 9
4 Philly 25 – SF 20
5 Miami 43 – SF 17
6 SF 24 – LAR 16
7 SF 33 – NE 6
8 Sea 37 – SF 27
9 GB 34 – SF 17
10 NO 27 – SF 13
11 – BYE
12 SF 23 – LAR 20
13 Buff 34 – SF 24
14 Wash 23 – SF 15
15 Dal – 41 – SF 33
16 SF 20 – AZ 12
17 Sea 26 – SF 23
1: 14th (from Bucs)
DT Javon Kinlaw, SCar
1: 25th (from Vikes)
WR Brandon Aiyuk, AZ State
5: 153rd (from Miami)
OL Colton McKivitz, WVa
6: 190th (from Eagles)
TE Charlie Woerner, GA
7: 217th (from Lions)
WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
15 – 3
_________________________
1: SF 31 – TB 17
2: SF 41 – Cincy 17
3: SF 24 – Pitts 20
4: Bye week
5: SF 31 – Cle 3
6: SF 20 – LAR 7
7: SF 9 – Wash 0
8: SF 51 – Car 13
9: SF 28 – AZ 25
10: Sea 27 – SF 24
11: SF 36 – AZ 26
12: SF 37 – GB 8
13: Balt 20 – SF 17
14: SF 48 – NO 46
15: Atl 29 – SF 22 ooops
16: SF 34 – LA 31
17: SF 26 – Sea 21 de ja vu!
Div: SF 27 – Minn 10
NFC: SF 37 – GB 20
SB: KC 31 – SF 20
FUUUUUUUUUCK
1 Minn 24 – SF 16
2 SF 30 – Det 27
3 KC 34 – SF 28
4 SD 29 – SF 27
5 AZ 28 – SF 18
6 GB 33 – SF 30
7 Rams 39 – SF 10
8 Cards 18 – SF 15
9 49ers 34 – Oak 3
10 NYG 27 – SF 23
11 – BYE –
12 TB 27 – SF 09
13 Sea 43 – SF 16
14 SF 20 – Den 14
15 SF 26 – Sea 23
16 Chi 14 – SF 9
17 LAR 48 – SF 32
Pffffffffffffffffft
1 (9) Mike McGlinchey, OT, ND
2 (44) Dante Pettis, WR, Wash
3 (70) Fred Warner, OLB, BYU
3 (95) Tarv. Moore, S, S Miss
4 (128) Kent. Street, DE, NC St
5, (142) D.J. Reed, DB, K State
6 (184) Marcell Harris, DB, Fla
7 (223) Jul. Taylor, DT Temple
7 (240) Rick James, WR M Ten St
Regular Season (6-10)
Garoppolo 5-0
Sept. 10 Carol 23 – SF 3
Sept. 17 Sea 12 – SF 9
Sept. 21 LA 41 – SF 39
Oct. 1 AZ 18 – SF 12 (OT)
Oct. 8 Indy 26 – SF 23 (OT)
Oct. 15 Wa 26 – SF 24
Oct. 22 Dall 40 – SF 10
Oct. 29 Phi 40 – SF 13
Nov. 5 AZ 20 – SF 10
Nov. 12 SF 31 – NYG 21
Sunday, Nov. 19 Bye
Nov. 26 Sea 33 – SF 13
Dec. 3 SF 15 – Chi 14
Dec. 10 SF 26 – Hou 16
Dec. 17 SF 25 – Tenn 23
Dec. 24 SF 44 – Jax 33
Dec. 31 SF 33 – LA 13
___________________
3. Solomon Thomas, DE Snodfart
31. Reuben Foster, LB Alabama
66. Ahkelo Witherspoon, CB Colo
104. C.J. Beathard, QB Iowa
121. Joe Williams, RB Utah
146. George Kittle, TE Iowa
177. Trent Taylor, WR Louisiana Tech
198. D.J. Jones, DT Mississippi
202. Pita Taumoepenu, LB Utah
229. Adrian Colbert, CB Miami
2 - 14 (We OWN the Rams!!)
SF 28 - LA 0
Panthers 46 - SF 28
Sea 37 - SF 18
Dal 24 - SF 17
AZ 33 - SF 21
Buff 45 - SF 16
TB 34 - SF 17
NO 87 - SF 20
AZ 23 - SF 20
NE 30 - SF 17
Miami 31 - SF 24
Chi 26 - SF 6
NYJ 23 - SF 17
Atl 473 - SF 13
SF 22 - LA 21
Sea 25 - SF 23
1: 7 – Ore DL DeForest Buckner
1: 28 - Stanford G Joshua Garnett
3: 68 – Miss State CB Will Redmond
4: 133 - LSU CB Rashard Robinson
5: 142 – App State DL Ronald Blair
5: 145 – Georgia OL John Theus
5: 174 – Ole Miss OL Fahn Cooper
6: 207 – Louisiana QB Jeff Driskel
6: 211 – Florida RB Kelvin Taylor
6: 213 – Mich St WR Aaron Burbridge
7: 249 – W Ky CB Prince Charles Iworah
5 - 11? Fuuuuuck
1 SF 20 - Minn 3
2 Pitt 43 - SF 18
3 AZ 47 - SF 7 -
4 GB 21 - SF 6
5 NYG 30 - SF 27
6 SF 25 - Balt 20
7 Sea 20 - SF 3
8 StL 27 - SF 6
9 SF 17 - Atl 16
10 Bye Week
11 Sea 29 - SF 13
12 AZ 19 - SF 13
13 SF 26 - Chi 20
14 Cle 24 - SF 10
15 Cincy 24 - SF 14
16 Det 32 - SF 17
17 SF 19 - StL 16
1 (17). Arik Armstead, DL, Ore
2 (14). Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
3 (15). Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
4 (18). Blake Bell, TE, Oklahoma
4 (27). Mike Davis, RB, SCar
4 (33). DeAndre Smelter, WR, GT
5 (29). Bradley Pinion, P, Clemson
6 (14). Ian Silberman, OL, BC
7 (27). Trenton Brown, OL, Florida
7 (37). Rory Anderson, TE, SCar
8-8
1 9-7 SF 28 - Alice 17
2 9-14 Chi 28 - SF 20
3 9-21 AZ 23 - SF 14
4 9-28 SF 26 - Iggles 21
5 10-5 SF 22 - KC 17
6 10-13 SF 31 - StL 17
7 10-19 Den 72 - SF 3
8 BYE WEEK
9 11-2 StL 13 - SF 10
10 11-9 SF 27 - NO 24
11 11-16 SF 16 - NYG 13
12 11-23 SF 17 - Wash 13
13 11-27 Sea 19 - SF 3
14 12-7 Oak 24 - SF 13
15 19-6 Squalks
16 30-27 SD - fuck, I don't care
17 SF 20 - AZ 17
1 (30). Jimmie Ward db NlU
2 (57). Carlos Hyde rb Ohio St
3 (70). Marcus Martin c USC
3 (77). Chris Borland ilb Wisc
3 (100). Brandon Thomas ol Clem
4 (106). Bruce Ellington wr SCar
4 (129). Dontae Johnson cb NC St
5 (150). Aaron Lynch olb S Fla
5 (170). Keith Reaser cb Fla Atl
6 (180). Kenneth Ackercb SMU
7 (243). Kaleb Ramsey de BC
7 (245). Trey Millard fb Ok
PRE 8/08 Donkeys 10 - SF 6
PRE 8/16 SF 15 - Chefs 13
PRE 8/25 SF 34 - Vikes 14
PRE 8/29 SF 41 SanDawgs 6
----------------------------------------
01 9/08 SF 34 - GB 28
02 9/15 Sea 29 - SF 3
03 9/22 Indy 27 - SF 7
04 9/26 SF 35 - StL 11
05 10/06 SF 34 - Hou 3
06 10/13 SF 32 - AZ 20
07 10/20 SF 31 - Tenn 17
08 10/27 SF 42 - Jax 10
09 Bye Week
10 11/10 Carol 10 - SF 9
11 11/17 NO 23 - SF 20
12 11/25 SF 27 - Skins 6
13 12/01 SF 23 - Rams 13
14 12/08 SF 19 - Sea 17!!
15 12/15 SF 33 - TB 14
16 12/23 SF 34 - Atl 24
17 12/29 SF 23 - AZ 20
PLAYOFFS (2-1)
1/5/14 SF 23 - GB 20
1/12/14 SF 23 - Carolina 10
1/19/14 Sea 23 - SF 17
Not again!
1 – Eric Reid – LSU – S
2 – Tank Carradine – Fla St – DE
2 – V McDonald – Rice – TE
3 – Corey Lemonier – Aub – DE
4 – Quinton Patton – La Te – WR
4 – Marcus Lattimore – SCr – RB
5 – Quinton Dial – Bama – DE
6 – Nick Moody – OLB – Fla
7 – B. J. Daniels – So Fla – QB
7 – Carter Bykowski – Iowa S – OT
7 – Marcus Cooper – Ruts – CB
W Sun 9/9 SF 30 - GB 22
W Sun 9/16 SF 27 - Det 19
L Sun 9/23 Minn 24 - SF 13
W Sun 9/30 SF 34 - NYJ 0
W Sun 10/7 SF 45 - Buff 3
L Sun 10/14 NY 26 - SF 3
W Thu 10/18 SF 13 - Sea 6
W Mon 10/29 SF 24 - AZ 3
. . . . . . . . . . . Bye . . . . . . . . .
T Sun 11/11 SF 24 - StL 24
W Mon 11/19 SF 32 - Chi 7
W Sun 11/25 SF 31 - NO 21
L Sun 12/2 StL 16 - SF 13
W Sun 12/9 SF 27 - Mia 13
W Sun 12/16 SF 41 - NE 34
L Sun 12/23 Sea 100 - SF 3
W Sun 12/30 SF 27 - AZ 13
Playoffs
W Sat 1/12 SF 45 - GB 31
W Sun 1/20 SF 28 - Atl 24
Super Bowl
Sun 2/3 Balt 34 - SF 31
The horror. The horror . . .
All time PST
1: WR A.J. Jenkins — Illini
2: RB LaMichael James — Ore
4: OL Joe Looney — Wake Forest
5: LB Darius Fleming — ND
6: S Trenton Robinson — Mich St
6: OL Jason Slowey — W Ore
7: DE Cam Johnson — Va
Sun 9/11 SF 33 - Sea 17
Sun 9/18 Dal 27 - SF 24 (OT)
Sun 9/25 SF 13 - Cincy 8
Sun 10/2 SF 24 - Philly 23
Sun 10/9 SF 48 - TB 3
Sun 10/16 SF 25 - Det 19
Bye
Sun 10/30 SF 20 - Cleve 10
Sun 11/6 SF 19 - Wash 11
Sun 11/13 SF 27 - NYG 20
Sun 11/20 SF 23 - AZ 7
Thu 11/24 Balt 16 - SF 6
Sun 12/4 SF 26 - StL 0
Sun 12/11 AZ 21 - SF 19
Mon 12/19 SF 20 - Pitt 3
Sat 12/24 SF 19 - Sea 17
Sun 1/1 SF 34 - StL 27
Playoffs
Sat 1/14 SF 36 - NO 32
Sun 1/22 NYG 20 - SF 17
1. Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri
2. Colin Kapernick, QB, Nevada
3. Chris Culliver, CB, So Carol
4. Kendall Hunter, RB, Okla St
5. Daniel Kilgore, OL, Appa St
6. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC
7. Colin Jones, S, TCU
8. Bruce Miller, DL/FB, Ctrl Fla
9. Michael Person, OL, Mt Ste
10. Curtis Holcomb, CB, Fla A&M
Anthony Davis T
Mike Iupati G
Taylor Mays DB
Navorro Bowman LB
Anthony Dixon RB
Nate Bynam TE
Kyle Williams WR
Philip Adams DB
San Francisco 49ers Forever
Who cares about target practice?
Count me OUT.
Give me the point man who gets the kill shot in a fire fight.
I’m still hoping Lynch and Shanny will fuck up the entire Draft and steal the BEST rated player that isn’t a QB.
IF…. it’s a QB let’s hope they get it right.
I’d love to steal a pass catcher or edge rusher too.
Giving up what they did is Major capital.
Whoever they buy better produce.
Doesn’t matter to me if it’s Offense or Defense.
I’ll do cartwheels if Shanny goes Chase @ 3.
I see him as Flash80 2.0
Pitts wouldn’t disappoint either.
Rousseau, Paye?
Sure.
Sewell?
Why not?
Go BIG or…
Go home.
I still want a guy like OG Quenton Nelson to play for SF.
Find me a pancaking, nose breaking OG/C in this Draft class.
After that, a Jackie Slater pass protection OT 😀
Well atleast he doesn’t hit light fixtures like Jones..
Fields is my pick I’m sticking with unless the Jets and it’s not automatic they take Wilson( maybe Saleh &Shanny have a conspiracy going on?) then the 49ers take Wilson. Jones is just a smokescreen, no way he’s the pick , Shanahan would end up being Hans Solo frozen in corbonite forever..
Now on the unlikely scenario they take a non QB, at 3, it would be exciting to have 2 starting studs in Kittle and the pick TE Pitts are even another talented WR in Jamar Chase maybe Waddle either one would be of these 3 would be solid in red&gold. But it will be a QB, and Fields who had the most starts in all 3 QB’s career wise,and has a connection with Fields from the past is not something not to take in account as well..
What still gets me is Shanahan’s infatuated hard on for Kirk Cousins? Besides coaching him some in Washington. He’s a career.500 QB , 51-51-2 yeah throws TD’s but also killer picks, and sacks, been to the playoffs twice as is 1-2 with a fluke win over the Saints hardly a top 10 QB he sometimes gets credited for..
AK I’m going more with Bill being in the conspiracy.
Jimmy still makes the most sense to me to go back to NE.
I can see Mac in NE too.
Mac to us is certainly possible but, Fields has connections to Shanny too.
I’m all for BPA @ 3.
ROCK the Draft 😀
AK, Shanny moved off Cousins when Jimmy G came available. For what this is worth, it means he changed his mind. And that is a very good sign to me. It means he isnt set in stone on whever he may have wanted at 3 last month, or even last week.
_____
NJ, there is about a 0.00000000001% chance Lynch drafts someone other than a QB. Mainly because they could have stayed at 12 and gotten just about any non-QB they wanted.
It would be career suicide to draft a WR for 3 #1’s.
If Shanahan had stayed at 12, it would have been Jones, I think he started looking at the top QB and decided he need longer to make a decision
From a writer on the Atheltic
5. Mac Jones, Alabama
Jones’ 2020 film is better than Lance’s 2019 film. He was remarkably productive in his one season as a starter, throwing 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions. But he’s a little older (22), and his physical traits are levels below the other top five quarterbacks. He’s a below-average athlete with an average NFL arm, but he’s very accurate and processes quickly. We’ve seen physically underwhelming quarterbacks succeed before but if you’re drafting him in the top 10, you’re expecting him to become elite, not just very good. And for him to reach that level, he’ll have to achieve a Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady mastery of the game because his physical tools don’t give him much room for error.
Ted Nguyen of the Athletic
1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
No need to overthink this. Lawrence is immensely talented and has three years of sustained success in one of the best college programs in the country. His rare combination of traits and productions makes him one of the best prospects the NFL has seen in a long time.
2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
The narrative that Fields can’t read defenses or go through his progressions is overblown. Can he get through them a little quicker? Sure. But he’s an aggressive downfield passer and fortune favors the bold. Also, the Ohio State offense gets unfairly criticized for being gimmicky when in reality, under head coach Ryan Day, it looks a lot more like a modern NFL offense than most colleges. Fields’ accuracy, ability to protect the ball (only 18 turnover-worthy plays in his career, according to Pro Football Focus) combined with his high-end athleticism gives him a high floor and high ceiling.
3. Zach Wilson, BYU
A lot of the things that people criticize Fields for can be said about Wilson, but because Wilson’s BYU team was so much more dominant than the competition he faced, even when his process was bad, he was still able to make plays. Wilson’s quick release and ability to make remarkable throws are tantalizing, but he has to make some big strides from a mental perspective. Still, his tools make him worth the gamble.
4. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
When watching Lance’s 2019 tape, you say to yourself, “Wow, this kid looks like he’s going to be a top-10 pick if he builds on this season next year.” Unfortunately, because of COVID-19 restrictions, next season never happened. There were times when the ball got away from him. His accuracy is one of those concerns that scouts would have wanted to see him improve on in 2020. Still, Lance’s size, speed, the way the ball jumps out his hand and how quickly he processes defenses make him as intriguing as any of the quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. And he’s only 20 years old.
5. Mac Jones, Alabama
Jones’ 2020 film is better than Lance’s 2019 film. He was remarkably productive in his one season as a starter, throwing 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions. But he’s a little older (22), and his physical traits are levels below the other top five quarterbacks. He’s a below-average athlete with an average NFL arm, but he’s very accurate and processes quickly. We’ve seen physically underwhelming quarterbacks succeed before but if you’re drafting him in the top 10, you’re expecting him to become elite, not just very good. And for him to reach that level, he’ll have to achieve a Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady mastery of the game because his physical tools don’t give him much room for error.
6. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
Mond has a quick release for a long-limbed athlete. He consistently sets up with a wide base and short-strides into his throws. He throws with a ton of velocity and can also throw with touch. However, his accuracy and ball placement are spotty. His throws aren’t wildly off-target but in the NFL, windows will be tighter, and inches matter. He’s an exceptional athlete, putting up good numbers at his pro day, including a 4.5 40-yard dash. He’ll immediately be dangerous in the option game. On film, there are some examples of anticipation throws as he does a good job of anticipating when windows open inside. His ability to throw outside leaves a lot to be desired. According to Pro Football Focus, Mond was just 14-of-57 last year throwing outside the hash marks over 10 yards in the air. He was a fairly conservative passer last season and left a lot of yards on the field. He did miss his top receivers due to injuries, but there were deep opportunities that he didn’t see because he either misread the defense or didn’t let things develop long enough. He does a good job of staying in and maneuvering in the pocket but makes questionable decisions when pressured. Overall, Mond has an intriguing skill set with his quick delivery, ability to throw with velocity and touch, and high-end athleticism. Additionally, he played in an offense that utilized a lot of dropback concepts that are translatable in the NFL. Mond looks like a solid Round 2-3 developmental project who can pay dividends in the right situation.
7. Davis Mills, Stanford
Mills is quickly rising up draft boards based on recent reports. He has only 438 career passing attempts in 14 starts, so he has a very limited sample size to examine and he wasn’t overly productive when given the opportunity, finishing with 18 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. Mills has intriguing traits to work with. He has prototypical size at 6-3, 217 pounds, and above-average arm strength. He throws with excellent trajectory control and made some beautiful touch passes down the seam and on “go” balls. He’s not a creator and won’t make plays with his legs, but he has adequate movement skills and can maneuver the pocket, make escapes occasionally, and throws accurately on the run. He processes fairly quickly and made some excellent anticipation throws inside and outside the numbers. He also used his eyes to look off defenders and doesn’t zero in on his target. When he has a clean pocket, he’s accurate and shows that he has a good sense of ball placement. However, he has sequencing problems with his throwing mechanics — his front shoulder opens early which can cause him to slash and have passes get away from him. This is especially notable when he’s rushing throws. Mills has mental and physical traits to work with but his mechanical flaw is one that can be tough to fix and when he’s in the NFL, he’ll be rushed more than he was at Stanford. That, combined with his limited body of work, makes him an interesting Round 2-3 project. A lot of his final overall grade with NFL teams will depend on interviews and how he performs on the chalkboard in meetings.
8. Kyle Trask, Florida
Trask is a big quarterback (6-5, 236). However, he doesn’t have the arm strength that you would associate with a quarterback of that stature. His arm is average, but he’s very accurate and can throw the ball in good locations, particularly on throws inside the hashes. His ball placement on deep passes outside the numbers can be spotty, but this is more of an arm strength issue. He routinely sees windows open up and throws to open grass with anticipation — he might be the best anticipation thrower in the draft. He’s an aggressive thrower and will push the ball downfield. His best throw might be his seam ball. He moves well in the pocket and buys time with subtle pocket movements. Though he lacks linear speed, Florida ran him on a lot of option plays because of his size and ability to fall forward. He won’t be an option threat in the NFL, but he can be used as a runner in the red zone or short-yardage situations. There are times when he looks like he’s locked on to tight end Kyle Pitts even before the snap and it’s hard to blame him considering how dominant Pitts is. He was very productive at Florida and threw for 4,283 yards with 43 touchdowns his final season. Trask has starter potential at the next level and would be a great fit in a system like New Orleans, which utilizes quick concepts and heavily attacks the seams.
9. Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Ehlinger is a four-year starter at Texas and his experience definitely showed on film. He’s a mature quarterback who looked to have a lot of responsibility pre-snap, possibly making run checks, setting protections and calling out potential blitzers. His arm is limited — he lacks the power to zip in passes outside the numbers and a majority of his throws on “go” balls died and were underthrown. He has good size (6-1, 220) and has decent linear speed and change-of-direction ability. He can be effective in the run-option game, but he won’t keep defensive coordinators up at night. He has the mobility to get outside the pocket and make throws on the run, but sometimes he bails a little too early. He’s adept at identifying coverages, has a good sense of who is going to be open right away, and makes an effort to exhaust his progressions. He also uses his eyes effectively to look off defenders. His sense of timing and anticipation got better in his senior year, but he has to be even quicker because his arm strength doesn’t give him much room for error. When he’s pressured, he has a tendency to lock out his front knee and tilt his front shoulder, causing some passes to sail. He played well in the clutch and late-game situations. Ehlinger has size, athleticism and is far ahead of other quarterbacks in his class in experience and maturity. Still, his limited arm strength that isn’t accompanied by high-level accuracy and ball placement makes his ceiling limited.
10. Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
Franks measured 6-6, 234. He has very good mobility for a taller player and made plays with his legs in the option game and scrambling on pass plays. His ability to change directions is unusual for a player his size. He has a live arm and throws a nice “go” ball. He can throw with touch and has an above-average sense of ball placement although his back-shoulder throws can be thrown more toward the sideline to protect the ball and his receivers. He has clean throwing mechanics, a quick release, and a high release point. He has the ability to throw into tight windows, but there are times when he’s hesitant to throw when the “picture” isn’t totally clean — you want to see him let it rip more but he also didn’t have a lot of receiving talent to work with. He’s willing to stand strong and take hits to make throws but when pressure forces him to move off his spot, his eyes have a tendency to drop — he takes off and runs more often than making subtle movements to buy time in the pocket. Franks has the physical tools to be a starter, but his hesitancy to throw and ability to manage the pocket and deal with pressure consistently are concerns.
11. Jamie Newman, Georgia/Wake Forest
Newman has a live arm and can throw with velocity. He has a quick release, but his release point is low and has a tendency to throw sidearm. He’s a loose, natural athlete with some speed and quickness. Wake Forest ran a unique option offense that heavily involved him as a runner and used a lot of RPOs. The passing game was one of the simpler and less refined schemes that I saw. Newman will have a huge learning curve when going to the pros. He struggled with control on touch throws and his accuracy is erratic. His footwork is very undisciplined — he has a bit of a hop as he drops. He is willing to stay in the pocket but displays poor pocket awareness. Overall, he made some highlight-worthy tight-window throws and has tools to work with but will need to be retrained from the ground up.
12. Ian Book, Notre Dame
Book is a very good athlete with vertical speed and the ability to make defenders miss. He has the ability to be used in the option run game in the pros, but with his size (6-0, 211), he’s better off being used on zone reads when he can run horizontally more than vertical option concepts like inverted veer. He has a below-average NFL arm and didn’t throw deep outside a lot. When he can set his feet, he’s very accurate and has a good sense of ball location. He does a good job of maneuvering the pocket and escaping, but can get antsy in clean pockets. He doesn’t throw the ball with a lot of anticipation and has a tendency to hold the ball. His biggest shortcoming is his inability to anticipate deep routes opening up and he missed a lot of opportunities down the field. This was particularly notable during the loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoffs semifinals. Although his combination of athleticism and accuracy is intriguing, his lack of downfield anticipation projects him to be a backup on the next level.
Thanks for your Athletic updates Kevin! Much appreciated anytime! Good Stuff! More to analyze on QB’s projections..
Mock drafts are just a joke and especially when it involves idiots like Mel Kiper and Charley Casserly…
Casserly smokin the crack pipe has Justin Fields falling to #24 to the Steelers huh?? With those 2 clowns still insisting Jones goes to SF I feel even better the pick is Fields..
Not only does Fields check all the boxes .. arm strength, pocket presence, reads to the 2nd 3rd option ( yes he has that along with superior IQ) but if all else fails on an intended play he adds that running option with 4.4 speed, to keep drives moving along too.And like a Russell Wilson he has the capability of being one of the best deep ball throwers in the league.He’s already mastered the 10-20 yard throws in college, best percentage I believe, so that should equate well with the Niner yac boys Deebo &Aiyuk perfectly..
kat- I agree Kiper is always wrong about QB’s. I think the only reason he still has a job is because of his hair. And he stole that from Eddie Munster.
All these clowns are shit. No one gets anything right pst 5 picks. If that. And they won’t get this right.
Still thinking Lance. His size is key. And he’s a play-action/ under the center guy.
David Lombardi of the Athletic
Over one striking night earlier this offseason, as the 49ers managed to secure commitments from two star offensive linemen, it was clear that coach Kyle Shanahan was intent on investing heavily in a front that’s been inconsistent at best over his four seasons at the helm.
The 49ers awarded star left tackle Trent Williams the largest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history. Shortly thereafter, news broke that they’d reached an agreement with center Alex Mack, another All-Pro.
In one fell swoop, Shanahan had netted his scheme’s prototypical fits at possibly the offensive line’s two most important positions.
Williams — who entered the league with Washington under Shanahan and his father, Mike, as the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2010 — might still be the best outside zone-blocking left tackle in football, as he showed with the 49ers in 2020. Mack, who’s twice previously been the pivot point of Shanahan offensive lines, was the NFL’s center of the decade for the 2010s. The 49ers are counting on him to again be a difference-making fulcrum.
So far, this has been Shanahan’s boldest offseason of line investment with the 49ers, but it’s not the first time the team has spent considerable resources on its front.
In 2018, the 49ers acquired another expensive center-tackle combination, signing the since-injured Weston Richburg to a contract worth up to $47.5 million before drafting Mike McGlinchey with the No. 9 overall pick.
In 2020, after the 49ers learned that left tackle Joe Staley had decided to retire, the team considered drafting rookie tackle Tristan Wirfs at No. 13 but instead opted to trade a third-round pick for a proven veteran option in Williams, whom they signed to that record-breaking deal less than a year later.
But thanks to injuries and underperformance, the 49ers are still waiting for a fair return on their investment in terms of cumulative results up front — and they’ll likely need to spend even more on the line to attain that.
With spending on the quarterback position expected to skyrocket with the 49ers’ upcoming No. 3 draft pick, pass protection will become even more vital. Jimmy Garoppolo is still around, but a presumptive rookie quarterback — even a young QB who might be more mobile than him — will also require more consistent blocking than what’s hindered the 49ers in recent years.
Undoubtedly, the 49ers under Shanahan have enjoyed splashes of O-line excellence. The January 2020 NFC Championship Game, in which the 49ers rushed for 285 yards on nearly 7 yards per carry against Green Bay, is the shining example of that. Impressive blocking performances — especially in the run game — highlighted the season leading up to that, during which the 49ers showcased tremendous interchangeability up front to overcome multiple injuries on their way to the Super Bowl.
But leaky line play, particularly on the interior, was a key culprit in that Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. And in the larger picture of the Shanahan era, those struggles have been no outlier.
The 49ers have ranked No. 26 in ESPN’s pass-block win rate, which measures how often a line successfully holds its blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer, in each of the past two seasons. Their Pro Football Focus grades and pass-blocking efficiency scores have generally matched those struggles. A sizable chasm between the team’s run- (good) and pass-blocking (bad) efforts has crystallized over the past four years.
That gap led to the eventful night of March 17, when the 49ers secured both Williams — who graded as their only above-average pass protector last season — and Mack, two players who’ve excelled at both facets of blocking in their illustrious NFL careers.
The flurry has led to the next question: Are the 49ers finished making significant additions to their offensive line?
While prospective quarterbacks command the lion’s share of attention ahead of the draft, we’ll dive into the critical 49ers’ unit that’ll protect whoever lines up under center.
Even if the 49ers are set at their five starting positions along the front to begin 2021, which should be no foregone conclusion, they still have many issues to address up front.
The 32-year-old Williams and the 35-year-old Mack are no spring chickens. At least on paper, there are still concerning weaknesses on the right side of the line. And the position group’s depth, a key to the 49ers’ 2019 run, appears shaky at best.
There remains one more primary pathway to assuage these issues during this 2021 offseason: The NFL Draft.
How effectively can the 49ers expect to bolster their offensive line through the draft? Let’s analyze some league-wide trends of the past half-decade.
The table below shows how many picks each NFL team has used on offensive linemen since 2016. Total picks spent are listed in the first column, while total picks spent in the early rounds (1-3) are listed in the second column.
The cumulative starts and combined All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods of those selections are listed in the final two columns, with each team’s 2020 pass-block win rate (PBWR) displayed in the middle column and color-coded by rank (darker blue means further above average and darker red means further below average).
NFL O-line drafting: 2016-20
TEAM TOT RDS 1-3 2020 PBWR STARTS ALL-PRO/PRO BOWL
Colts
9
4
60%
262
8
Ravens
9
3
62%
202
4
Lions
7
4
55%
242
1
Patriots
9
4
59%
159
0
Saints
5
3
63%
108
1
Vikings
11
4
56%
146
0
Texans
7
4
56%
148
0
Chargers
6
4
47%
136
0
Seahawks
8
3
62%
145
0
Broncos
6
4
54%
164
0
Titans
6
3
53%
101
4
Dolphins
7
4
51%
125
0
Bills
3
2
64%
108
0
Falcons
4
5
57%
101
0
Eagles
7
2
60%
98
0
Bears
5
2
58%
110
1
Raiders
4
1
60%
82
0
Jaguars
4
1
51%
83
0
Browns
7
5
71%
81
0
49ers
5
2
54%
71
0
Bucs
3
2
57%
67
0
Cardinals
6
1
67%
72
0
Panthers
3
2
53%
66
0
Jets
4
2
50%
76
0
Rams
5
2
63%
56
0
WFT
5
0
59%
72
0
Packers
7
2
74%
42
1
Giants
6
3
46%
65
0
Bengals
7
2
50%
55
0
Cowboys
3
2
51%
49
0
Steelers
4
1
51%
24
0
Chiefs
3
1
63%
15
0
Keep in mind that five years isn’t a huge window of time, and some teams had already largely built their fronts by 2016 — so aggressive drafting at the position wasn’t necessary over the course of the sample.
Dallas, Pittsburgh and Kansas City — the bottom three teams in terms of total starts above — fit that description. Interestingly, all three encountered pass-blocking issues in 2020 (the Cowboys and Steelers posted by far their worst pass-block win rates on record, while Kansas City struggled with injuries in the playoffs and saw Tampa Bay overrun its line in the Super Bowl).
The fallout will almost certainly encourage the Chiefs, who released starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz after the season, to be more active in the draft market. We’ll see if Dallas and Pittsburgh, both of which suffered injury-marred 2020 campaigns up front, also begin moving to replenish their lines.
As far as success stories, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Cleveland, Buffalo and Green Bay all stand out.
The Colts, after struggling to protect quarterback Andrew Luck over the last decade, have since seen their subsequently heavy O-line investment pay off.
Unfortunately, Luck never saw the full benefit of this as he retired before the 2019 season. But the Indianapolis model suggests that spending loads of draft capital can turn into line success: Left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith have all been either first- or second-round picks over the past five years
The Ravens, with their run-heavy offensive focus, have surged in both facets of blocking behind tackle Ronnie Stanley, whom they picked sixth overall in 2016. Baltimore’s big reliance on tight ends has also undoubtedly helped their balanced efforts up front.
Cleveland’s line is anchored by two first-round picks on the left side, including 2020 tackle selection Jedrick Willis Jr. The Browns have mixed in effective free-agent signings, including left tackle Jack Conklin, to create a dependable line in front of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Bills, who drafted left tackle Dion Dawkins in 2017’s second round before signing right tackle Daryl Williams at a bargain rate in 2020, have also built a sturdy front to shield quarterback Josh Allen.
The Packers have led the NFL in PBWR in each of the past two seasons behind a model that may be of particular significance to the 49ers, because the teams run related offenses.
A veteran left tackle — David Bakhtiari, drafted in 2013 — has spearheaded Green Bay, while top-notch center play from Corey Linsley (a 2014 draftee) anchored the unit in recent years. Though Linsley signed with the Chargers last month, the Packers had built a succession plan before his departure. They drafted Elgton Jenkins in 2019’s second round, and he has excelled at guard over the past two seasons and can now slide over to center and replace Linsley.
The 49ers might try a similar model to brace for the post-Mack world. We’ll discuss that in further detail below.
Of the teams whose drafting hasn’t been as successful, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.
Minnesota has spent a league-high 11 picks on offensive linemen over the past five years, including four in the first three rounds, but the Vikings haven’t produced a pass-block win rate better than No. 18 in the past two seasons.
The Chargers have spent four high picks on O-linemen since 2016 but logged the NFL’s worst PBWR in 2020. Interior selections Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney and first-round rookie Trey Pipkins all logged subpar seasons, making life hard for promising quarterback Justin Herbert. There’s a reason the Chargers lured Linsley away from Green Bay with record money.
Then there’s the interesting case of Seattle, where quarterback Russell Wilson has griped about his team’s pass protection this offseason. Perhaps surprisingly, the Seahawks have actually been relatively active up front over the past five drafts, and some of the data — including PBWR — suggests they improved up front in 2020.
But Seattle did falter up front in the playoffs against the Rams, and even if Wilson does deserve blame for a third of the 51 sacks his team allowed in 2020, the Seahawks still have room to improve.
So do the 49ers, especially in pass protection.
Shanahan hasn’t invested nearly as much draft capital as many other teams in the front, preferring instead to fortify the line with veterans. In fact, the 49ers have used only five picks on linemen since 2016, and two of those selections — Joshua Garnett and John Theus — came before Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over in 2017.
The current 49ers regime has drafted only three offensive linemen — McGlinchey, Justin Skule and Colton McKivitz. Performance metrics for all recent picks are charted below.
49ers O-line draftees, 2016-20
LINEMAN PRSR ALLOWED% PASS BLOWN BLK% RUN BLOWN BLK%
Joshua Garnett (1)
8.4%
3.4%
2.7%
John Theus (5)
16.1%
12.7%
13.3%
Mike McGlinchey (1)
5.7%
4.3%
1.5%
Justin Skule (6)
9.4%
5.4%
1.1%
Colton McKivitz (5)
7.2%
4.6%
1.6%
NFL Average
5.1%
3.1%
2.1%
Pressure rate allowed is pulled from TruMedia. Blown block rates come from the Sports Info Solutions DataHub.
There’s a similarity here, especially after we move to Shanahan’s three handpicked offensive linemen: Above-average run-blocking and below-average pass protection. Only McGlinchey has started consistently, but the pass-versus-run numbers for Skule and McKivitz show a familiar gap.
As far as the holdovers from former general manager Trent Baalke’s regime, Theus started only one game for the 49ers in 2016. The fifth-rounder posted horrific results. The team released him during Shanahan’s first year in charge. Garnett, a first-round draft pick in 2016, got a longer chance to prove himself under the new staff but was never able to stay consistently healthy. The 49ers cut him after training camp in 2019.
The 49ers face a major decision in the coming weeks, as the deadline to exercise McGlinchey’s fifth-year option for the 2022 season is May 3. Doing so would fully commit the 49ers to a $10.9 million salary for McGlinchey that season, which would currently rank No. 5 among NFL right tackles.
That’d be a considerable investment — and it’d carry real symbolic significance on top of that. Exercising McGlinchey’s option, or using it as an annual average value guidepost for a longer-term extension, would be Shanahan’s way of reemphasizing the foundational importance of run blocking in his offense. PFF graded McGlinchey and Williams as the NFL’s top two run blockers in 2020.
But pass protection has obviously been an issue for McGlinchey.
In the past, Shanahan has also stressed that top-notch center play — which the 49ers hope Mack delivers through his cerebral and physical mastery of the scheme — helps improve pass-blocking performances across the entire line. That can theoretically help McGlinchey improve his biggest weakness, and it does appear that’ll be the 49ers’ plan of attack on the issue.
When first asked about McGlinchey’s fifth-year option back in December, Shanahan hadn’t yet discussed the decision with the team’s brass, but he was confident that the 49ers would recommit to their right tackle.
“McGlinchey is going to be here,” Shanahan said. “He’s a good football player. He’s going to have a great career and I plan on it being here.”
The 49ers are also counting on big improvement from Skule and McKivitz, but it’s fair to question just how probable that might be. The team drafted Skule in 2019 and McKivitz in 2020, and both have obviously struggled in their early NFL action.
League-wide trends on this issue are interesting. In a recent article previewing Cincinnati’s draft plans, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. and Jay Morrison charted how rookie offensive linemen have performed over the past 10 years. They categorized draftees by performance tiers. Interestingly, the past two seasons have seen a sizable uptick in rookie linemen classified as “liabilities” — 50 percent of picks that have seen extensive playing time are classified as such.
It seems that life might be growing harder for young NFL offensive linemen, with Skule and McKivitz being no exceptions to this trend.
With early struggles being commonplace for linemen, just how much improvement can the 49ers realistically expect from Skule and McKivitz moving forward? At the very least, that’s a key variable in determining just how much quality the depth the 2021 49ers will have up front.
“I thought Skule was thrown into a very challenging deal versus Dallas, that I was just proud of him for being able to function,” Shanahan said late in the season. “You could tell how much better he got at guard. That’s kind of how Skule’s been at everything. You give him some time to practice, you give him some time to figure it out and he can help you win a game. I definitely think he’s more at a tackle spot. I think that’s what’s more natural to him, but the fact that he got better in his two weeks playing guard gives him a chance to help anywhere.”
Shanahan also said that injuries forced the team to play McKivitz more than had been planned.
Every player follows his own developmental curve, so it’s impossible to project the likelihood of jumps in performance. But the duo’s status as lower-round picks — Skule went in the sixth round, while McKivitz went in the fifth — certainly lengthens their odds.
Over the past two seasons, over 60 percent of the 49ers’ total starts up front have come from linemen originally drafted in the top three rounds. It’s no secret that higher-round picks have a significantly higher success rate.
Multiple studies of Pro Football Reference data have explored this, and at least one has unearthed a potentially encouraging trend for the 49ers when it comes to Skule, McKivitz and whomever the team might acquire for the front later this month. It found that offensive line “busts” were less frequent compared with other drafted positions, with draftee success rates for linemen higher than the league average at other spots across all rounds.
So while Skule and McKivitz have disappointed so far, and while the bar for them as lower-round selections was never high, perhaps adequate improvement — at least to the level of serviceable depth — remains realistic.
There’s actually a very relevant success story already on the 49ers’ roster. That’s former undrafted free agent Daniel Brunskill, who couldn’t crack Atlanta’s 53-man roster through his first two seasons in the league, but who broke through with the 49ers in 2019 as an indispensable reserve. After polishing his pass-protection skills in the now-defunct AAF, Brunskill has started at four positions for the 49ers over the past two seasons.
Brunskill was a glue piece of the 2019 49ers, who almost certainly wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl with only five quality offensive linemen. The grind of an NFL season requires more capable bodies, a truth that’ll become even more evident with the recent schedule expansion to 17 games.
Brunskill is now penciled in as the 49ers’ starting right guard, which leaves a hole in the quality depth department. Maybe Skule and McKivitz can fill it. Maybe reserve tackle Shon Coleman, who hasn’t played since suffering a severe ankle injury in the 2019 preseason, can return to help fill the void.
Or maybe part of the 49ers’ nine-pick haul in this upcoming draft will be aimed at completing the line. With so many questions still facing the unit, it might behoove Shanahan to make the front a bigger draft priority than he has over the past four years.
Here’s an overarching look at the 49ers’ performance up front in 2020 sorted by position. This can help give us a better idea of where Shanahan might focus his draft efforts.
2020 performance: 49ers’ offensive line
LINEMAN SNAPS PRSR ALLOWED% RUN BLOWN BLK%
LT Williams
957
3.6%
1.5%
LT Skule
83
9.8%
1.1%
LG Tomlinson
1,094
5.4%
2.1%
C Garland
333
2.1%
6.2%
C Grasu
215
5.3%
2.2%
C Brunskill
548
5.0%
2.8%
RG Brunskill
539
5.0%
2.8%
RG Compton
148
4.4%
2.0%
RG McKivitz
301
7.2%
1.6%
RG Skule
60
9.8%
1.1%
RT McGlinchey
1,091
6.0%
1.5%
Retaining Williams was a mandatory order of business, as he’s the only 49ers lineman who scored positively across the board. With fixes needed elsewhere, the 49ers couldn’t afford to play a game of Whac-A-Mole. A fresh problem couldn’t spring up at left tackle.
Center is the most glaring issue above, and that’s before the position’s responsibilities and impact are even considered. That’s why Mack has been considered such an obvious fit for the 49ers.
Perhaps the succession plan for Mack should be the pivot point for the 49ers’ plans. This formula has served Green Bay, which drafted Jenkins in 2019 to eventually be Linsley’s successor, very well.
Dane Brugler’s 2021 draft guide gives two centers firm second-round grades — Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz. Both have the requisite quickness for Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme, and both have the potential to contribute immediately at guard — just like Jenkins did for the Packers.
The 49ers are also counting on big improvement from Skule and McKivitz, but it’s fair to question just how probable that might be. The team drafted Skule in 2019 and McKivitz in 2020, and both have obviously struggled in their early NFL action.
League-wide trends on this issue are interesting. In a recent article previewing Cincinnati’s draft plans, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. and Jay Morrison charted how rookie offensive linemen have performed over the past 10 years. They categorized draftees by performance tiers. Interestingly, the past two seasons have seen a sizable uptick in rookie linemen classified as “liabilities” — 50 percent of picks that have seen extensive playing time are classified as such.
It seems that life might be growing harder for young NFL offensive linemen, with Skule and McKivitz being no exceptions to this trend.
With early struggles being commonplace for linemen, just how much improvement can the 49ers realistically expect from Skule and McKivitz moving forward? At the very least, that’s a key variable in determining just how much quality the depth the 2021 49ers will have up front.
“I thought Skule was thrown into a very challenging deal versus Dallas, that I was just proud of him for being able to function,” Shanahan said late in the season. “You could tell how much better he got at guard. That’s kind of how Skule’s been at everything. You give him some time to practice, you give him some time to figure it out and he can help you win a game. I definitely think he’s more at a tackle spot. I think that’s what’s more natural to him, but the fact that he got better in his two weeks playing guard gives him a chance to help anywhere.”
Shanahan also said that injuries forced the team to play McKivitz more than had been planned.
Every player follows his own developmental curve, so it’s impossible to project the likelihood of jumps in performance. But the duo’s status as lower-round picks — Skule went in the sixth round, while McKivitz went in the fifth — certainly lengthens their odds.
Over the past two seasons, over 60 percent of the 49ers’ total starts up front have come from linemen originally drafted in the top three rounds. It’s no secret that higher-round picks have a significantly higher success rate.
Multiple studies of Pro Football Reference data have explored this, and at least one has unearthed a potentially encouraging trend for the 49ers when it comes to Skule, McKivitz and whomever the team might acquire for the front later this month. It found that offensive line “busts” were less frequent compared with other drafted positions, with draftee success rates for linemen higher than the league average at other spots across all rounds.
So while Skule and McKivitz have disappointed so far, and while the bar for them as lower-round selections was never high, perhaps adequate improvement — at least to the level of serviceable depth — remains realistic.
There’s actually a very relevant success story already on the 49ers’ roster. That’s former undrafted free agent Daniel Brunskill, who couldn’t crack Atlanta’s 53-man roster through his first two seasons in the league, but who broke through with the 49ers in 2019 as an indispensable reserve. After polishing his pass-protection skills in the now-defunct AAF, Brunskill has started at four positions for the 49ers over the past two seasons.
Brunskill was a glue piece of the 2019 49ers, who almost certainly wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl with only five quality offensive linemen. The grind of an NFL season requires more capable bodies, a truth that’ll become even more evident with the recent schedule expansion to 17 games.
Brunskill is now penciled in as the 49ers’ starting right guard, which leaves a hole in the quality depth department. Maybe Skule and McKivitz can fill it. Maybe reserve tackle Shon Coleman, who hasn’t played since suffering a severe ankle injury in the 2019 preseason, can return to help fill the void.
Or maybe part of the 49ers’ nine-pick haul in this upcoming draft will be aimed at completing the line. With so many questions still facing the unit, it might behoove Shanahan to make the front a bigger draft priority than he has over the past four years.
Here’s an overarching look at the 49ers’ performance up front in 2020 sorted by position. This can help give us a better idea of where Shanahan might focus his draft efforts.
2020 performance: 49ers’ offensive line
LINEMAN SNAPS PRSR ALLOWED% RUN BLOWN BLK%
LT Williams
957
3.6%
1.5%
LT Skule
83
9.8%
1.1%
LG Tomlinson
1,094
5.4%
2.1%
C Garland
333
2.1%
6.2%
C Grasu
215
5.3%
2.2%
C Brunskill
548
5.0%
2.8%
RG Brunskill
539
5.0%
2.8%
RG Compton
148
4.4%
2.0%
RG McKivitz
301
7.2%
1.6%
RG Skule
60
9.8%
1.1%
RT McGlinchey
1,091
6.0%
1.5%
Retaining Williams was a mandatory order of business, as he’s the only 49ers lineman who scored positively across the board. With fixes needed elsewhere, the 49ers couldn’t afford to play a game of Whac-A-Mole. A fresh problem couldn’t spring up at left tackle.
Center is the most glaring issue above, and that’s before the position’s responsibilities and impact are even considered. That’s why Mack has been considered such an obvious fit for the 49ers.
Perhaps the succession plan for Mack should be the pivot point for the 49ers’ plans. This formula has served Green Bay, which drafted Jenkins in 2019 to eventually be Linsley’s successor, very well.
Dane Brugler’s 2021 draft guide gives two centers firm second-round grades — Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz. Both have the requisite quickness for Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme, and both have the potential to contribute immediately at guard — just like Jenkins did for the Packers.
Continued
The 49ers are also counting on big improvement from Skule and McKivitz, but it’s fair to question just how probable that might be. The team drafted Skule in 2019 and McKivitz in 2020, and both have obviously struggled in their early NFL action.
League-wide trends on this issue are interesting. In a recent article previewing Cincinnati’s draft plans, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. and Jay Morrison charted how rookie offensive linemen have performed over the past 10 years. They categorized draftees by performance tiers. Interestingly, the past two seasons have seen a sizable uptick in rookie linemen classified as “liabilities” — 50 percent of picks that have seen extensive playing time are classified as such.
It seems that life might be growing harder for young NFL offensive linemen, with Skule and McKivitz being no exceptions to this trend.
With early struggles being commonplace for linemen, just how much improvement can the 49ers realistically expect from Skule and McKivitz moving forward? At the very least, that’s a key variable in determining just how much quality the depth the 2021 49ers will have up front.
“I thought Skule was thrown into a very challenging deal versus Dallas, that I was just proud of him for being able to function,” Shanahan said late in the season. “You could tell how much better he got at guard. That’s kind of how Skule’s been at everything. You give him some time to practice, you give him some time to figure it out and he can help you win a game. I definitely think he’s more at a tackle spot. I think that’s what’s more natural to him, but the fact that he got better in his two weeks playing guard gives him a chance to help anywhere.”
Shanahan also said that injuries forced the team to play McKivitz more than had been planned.
Every player follows his own developmental curve, so it’s impossible to project the likelihood of jumps in performance. But the duo’s status as lower-round picks — Skule went in the sixth round, while McKivitz went in the fifth — certainly lengthens their odds.
Over the past two seasons, over 60 percent of the 49ers’ total starts up front have come from linemen originally drafted in the top three rounds. It’s no secret that higher-round picks have a significantly higher success rate.
Multiple studies of Pro Football Reference data have explored this, and at least one has unearthed a potentially encouraging trend for the 49ers when it comes to Skule, McKivitz and whomever the team might acquire for the front later this month. It found that offensive line “busts” were less frequent compared with other drafted positions, with draftee success rates for linemen higher than the league average at other spots across all rounds.
So while Skule and McKivitz have disappointed so far, and while the bar for them as lower-round selections was never high, perhaps adequate improvement — at least to the level of serviceable depth — remains realistic.
There’s actually a very relevant success story already on the 49ers’ roster. That’s former undrafted free agent Daniel Brunskill, who couldn’t crack Atlanta’s 53-man roster through his first two seasons in the league, but who broke through with the 49ers in 2019 as an indispensable reserve. After polishing his pass-protection skills in the now-defunct AAF, Brunskill has started at four positions for the 49ers over the past two seasons.
Brunskill was a glue piece of the 2019 49ers, who almost certainly wouldn’t have made the Super Bowl with only five quality offensive linemen. The grind of an NFL season requires more capable bodies, a truth that’ll become even more evident with the recent schedule expansion to 17 games.
Brunskill is now penciled in as the 49ers’ starting right guard, which leaves a hole in the quality depth department. Maybe Skule and McKivitz can fill it. Maybe reserve tackle Shon Coleman, who hasn’t played since suffering a severe ankle injury in the 2019 preseason, can return to help fill the void.
Or maybe part of the 49ers’ nine-pick haul in this upcoming draft will be aimed at completing the line. With so many questions still facing the unit, it might behoove Shanahan to make the front a bigger draft priority than he has over the past four years.
Here’s an overarching look at the 49ers’ performance up front in 2020 sorted by position. This can help give us a better idea of where Shanahan might focus his draft efforts.
2020 performance: 49ers’ offensive line
LINEMAN SNAPS PRSR ALLOWED% RUN BLOWN BLK%
LT Williams
957
3.6%
1.5%
LT Skule
83
9.8%
1.1%
LG Tomlinson
1,094
5.4%
2.1%
C Garland
333
2.1%
6.2%
C Grasu
215
5.3%
2.2%
C Brunskill
548
5.0%
2.8%
RG Brunskill
539
5.0%
2.8%
RG Compton
148
4.4%
2.0%
RG McKivitz
301
7.2%
1.6%
RG Skule
60
9.8%
1.1%
RT McGlinchey
1,091
6.0%
1.5%
Retaining Williams was a mandatory order of business, as he’s the only 49ers lineman who scored positively across the board. With fixes needed elsewhere, the 49ers couldn’t afford to play a game of Whac-A-Mole. A fresh problem couldn’t spring up at left tackle.
Center is the most glaring issue above, and that’s before the position’s responsibilities and impact are even considered. That’s why Mack has been considered such an obvious fit for the 49ers.
Perhaps the succession plan for Mack should be the pivot point for the 49ers’ plans. This formula has served Green Bay, which drafted Jenkins in 2019 to eventually be Linsley’s successor, very well.
Dane Brugler’s 2021 draft guide gives two centers firm second-round grades — Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz. Both have the requisite quickness for Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme, and both have the potential to contribute immediately at guard — just like Jenkins did for the Packers.
Either way, the 49ers will likely have to pay a premium for center-guard versatility. Brugler gave Stanford’s Drew Dalman, who’s also considered an excellent fit for NFL zone-blocking schemes, only a third- or fourth-round grade. Dalman will likely come cheaper than Humphrey and Meinerz because he’s a slightly smaller prospect and, therefore, not projected to as easily shift to guard.
However, Dalman has experience playing guard in Stanford’s power-blocking scheme, so his versatility might be undervalued. He’s also the son of former 49ers offensive lineman Chris Dalman, who was Lynch’s teammate at Stanford and who’s a good example of exceeded draft expectations. The 49ers picked Dalman in the sixth round of the 1993 draft — when Mike Shanahan was offensive coordinator — and he later became their starting center for four seasons.
If the 49ers choose to fortify the tackle position, Brugler projects two elite options: Oregon’s Penei Sewell and Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater. Both are expected to go high in the first round, so the 49ers might not be in position to draft either of them after taking a quarterback at No. 3, but it’s worth noting that Sewell has been compared to Trent Williams — Shanahan’s prototypical tackle — while Slater is versatile enough to play at any position up front.
But given the uncertainty surrounding how much longer Mack will play and the team’s commitment to Williams and McGlinchey at the tackle spots, it seems more likely that the 49ers will use a more valuable pick on a center and a later-round selection on a tackle, since a developmental player at that position might better fit their long-term plans.
Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown owns a fourth-round grade. He’s a 6-8 behemoth who clocked an eye-opening 4.92 40-yard dash with a 1.69-second 10-yard split, a reflection of the fact that he entered college as a tight end (Staley, the former 49ers great, was also originally a tight end). Brown is still developing into his massive frame, but athleticism at that size might make him an ideal outside-zone project for Shanahan’s staff.
There are several ways for the 49ers to go about it all, but this much is clear: They’ve already poured abundant resources into their offensive line this offseason, and a study of other teams’ recent success through the draft suggests that they shouldn’t be finished yet.
Because at the end of the day, if the 49ers aren’t sufficiently deep and capable up front, it won’t matter who’s under center.
Thanks Irish- Drafting OL in the first round aren’t sexy picks but in the end next to a QB, DE, they are the most important for a football team. Although they are similar to drafting WR’s you just never know if they can adapt to the pro game.
I really like the writers on the Athletic, and I have been ranting on the Niners o-line seems like forever, glad to see a sports writer agree with the need for pass blocking
Yeah, I like the Athletic also. I finally broke down and got a subscription.
Protect the QB
Sack the QB
Big nasties control the game.
Find the next Quenton Nelson inside and replace McGlinchey.
Highly expect Mack to be here to groom his replacement.
Would love to see Landon Dickerson slide into RD2.
Meinerz makes my list also.
No question, Shanny and Lynch need to improve the OL.
ALSO, get an Edge replacement for No See Dee.
Wouldn’t be disappointed to send Ford and/or McGlinchey elsewhere for Picks.
No mention of what plans are in place for the Secondary yet either. Have to expect a CB in the mid RDs too IMO.
Thanks, Irish. Good stuff. New thread is up.