Day 1 Watchlist
Much to the chagrin of bachelorette parties everywhere, the draft has been split into three separate days, so I’ll be splitting up the watchlist into three parts to match it.
Barring a massive trade up or down, this Day 1 primer should include our future first-round pick, but as we get deeper into the draft I’ll do more highlighting of interesting dudes rather than try and make an exhaustive list of prospects we might select.
The numbers beside each prospect denote their aggregate big board rank (not my personal ranking), and I’ve included only guys ranked 15-45 in this first write-up (with one notable exception near the end).
I’ve put marginally helpful (and consistently inconsistent) emojis under everyone’s names for shorthand purposes. Players with the ⭐️ after their names are E Wong favorites.
Now, who’s ready to watch some goddamn offensive tackle highlights? 🙋🏻♂️
16. OT, Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
6’6” 324 lbs.
🥊 = heavy hands
👊 = physical with a capital F
🚜 = road-grader
It’s probably not hard to guess Fuaga’s strengths: He might just be the best run-blocking lineman in this class. But he’s far from a one-trick pony, as his intelligence, technique, and cinder-block hands make him more than capable in pass protection as well. He’s not an A+ athlete like some of the other guys in this class, but he’s mobile enough to mirror in pass pro and climb to the second level in the running game. More than anything, he’s a body mover, and while there’s debate about whether or not he should slide inside to guard to minimize reach and quickness concerns against elite edge speed, he’s an experienced starter who will immediately improve a run game wherever he winds up.
17. OT, Troy Fautanu, Washington ⭐️
6’4” 317 lbs.
🏅= elite athlete
👊 = physical with a capital F
🃏 = versatile
The mauling tackle out of Washington was ranked eight spots lower on the big board just a few weeks ago, giving me an unrealistic expectation that we might be able to steal him late in the first. Alas, after dominating the combine’s athletic testing and assuaging length concerns by measuring in with one of the largest wingspans in the draft, GMs seem to have come around to the idea that this 30-game starter with a tone-setting demeanor and violent high-level run-blocking ability can indeed play outside in the NFL. Thus, his value has spiked well out of our range.
There’s certainly a valid argument that he projects BEST at guard, but there’s an equally valid argument that he could theoretically be a plus performer at any of the five spots along the line, which gives him incredible versatility and greatly raises his floor.
18. DT, Byron Murphy, Texas
6’1” 297 lbs.
🦶= great first step
🔋 = relentless motor
🧩 = scheme fit
A classic one-gapper, Murphy is stout, plays with leverage, and wins with an explosive first step and the ability to smoothly turn speed into power. While massive teammate T’Vondre Sweat gets more of the attention, Murphy is the consensus better prospect, and his size and length limitations would be mostly hidden in our wide 9 scheme. He’s a high-energy guy with the tools to be a very productive interior pass rusher, but you’d like to see better hand usage, since he won’t be able to blow by NFL blockers with his first-step alone.
19. OT, Amarius Mims, Georgia ⭐️
6’7” 340 lbs.
🏅 = elite athlete
🤯 = limitless potential
🐸 = a bit green
Of all the players on this list, Mims is probably the one most likely to be mistaken for a create-a-character in Madden, as his blend of size and athleticism is—quite frankly—unrealistic. A five-star recruit out of high school, he’s a little high-cut but otherwise has prototypical size and movement skills and has shown just enough high-level play on tape to think he can put it all together with more seasoning. But the man needs more reps.
Playing on a team constantly flooded with high recruits, Mims only totaled eight career starts in college–all this year–and while his vast potential is obvious, his pro-readiness is debatable. He’s got many of the large man issues you’d expect, like struggling to consistently stay low and leaning and lunging too much when he’s on the move, but he has the feet and the athleticism to overcome them with time and proper coaching. I don’t want to imply he’s all projection. His tape is quite impressive, particularly in pass protection. But there’s only so much you can take away from someone’s film when they’ve started single-digit games.
20. WR, Brian Thomas Jr., LSU ⭐️
6’3” 209 lbs.
🐆 = speed demon
😮 = big-play guy
🫨 = got that shake-n-bake
While the top three wideouts are in a class of their own as prospects, Thomas has a chance to be just as good as any of them down the road. The 2023 FBS leader in touchdown receptions (17), Thomas is big, fast (4.33 forty, 38.5” vert), and–as a former basketball recruit–excellent at the catch point on jump balls. Those sort of prospects are always coveted for their high ceilings, but what intrigues me most about Thomas’ game versus past toolsy burners is that he is unusually shifty and excels at getting open early.
Those big and fast straight-line guys are usually not great at the line of scrimmage and many require an open runway to separate—a luxury they are rarely (if ever) afforded in the NFL. But while Thomas was used mainly as a top-off speedster in college, ran mostly simple routes against off-coverage, and will need to greatly improve the precision and craft in which he runs routes, he’s got some innate “get open” qualities that should translate well. His shiftiness, short-area quickness, and elusiveness to slip defenders early off the line or late with his deep speed make me more intrigued by the package he brings than in similar height-weight-40-time heroes of past draft classes.
Is there a world where he never puts it together and becomes just another “three S” receiver (slants, streaks, screens)? Sure. That’s always the risk you run with a guy who ran a limited route tree in college and needs to clean some stuff up. But there’s potential here for much more, and—if we do take a receiver in the first round—I’d like to swing on a guy who adds something we don’t have (a top-off man) with the potential for more.
Note: A quick aside before we move into the cornerbacks. This OT crop is amazing and deep. This WR crop is amazing and deep. This CB crop lacks top-end, but is… deep at the right point in the draft to where it’s potentially useful for us. There are a lot of guys who are valued somewhere in the 20s-to-30s, all with different strengths and weaknesses and potential scheme fits. So if we do wind up with a corner at Pick 31, it’s probably because the right one fell to us.
22. CB, Nate Wiggins, Clemson
6’2” 185 lbs.
🐆 = speed demon
🏅 = elite athlete
🍄 = ideal size
Wiggins has top-tier length, quickness, and speed. He blazed a 4.28 forty at the combine (and made it look easy) and—unlike many corners who put up those fast 40 times—that speed shows up regularly on tape. Like on this chase-down tackle and forced fumble against North Carolina (which was one of two of these sort of plays he made this season):
He’s sticky in coverage, has good ball production (18 pass deflections and 3 picks over the past two seasons), and shows the chops to make the transition to the pros, but the issues that have popped up (grabby at the top of the route, late to turn for the ball, slow to trigger) point to a dude who was just a much better athlete than everyone he faced in college and developed some lazy habits because of it. His thin frame is also a real concern and it shows up in his issues shedding blocks and missing tackles. Despite those concerns, the skill, size, and athleticism are there for Wiggins to become a top-flight corner at a discount price. But there’s work to be had to make his transition a smooth one.
23. DT, Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois ⭐️
6’2” 304 lbs.
🧩 = scheme fit
🔋 = relentless motor
😮 = big-play guy
Does it make sense to take a defensive tackle in the first round given the makeover we just had at the position and the other, more pressing needs on our roster? I would normally say no, but man, oh man, does Newton fit our scheme like a glove.
Newton is a twitchy athlete with excellent lateral quickness, a wide array of rush moves, and a knack for disrupting plays all over the field (to the point where they played him at DE at times). He plays with great leverage and hand use, is relentlessly slippery and active, and tallied 103 pressures over the past two seasons, a ludicrous number that (unsurprisingly) led all interior defenders during that time. Despite his athleticism, I don’t know if he has that true S-tier Aaron Donald/Quinnen Williams sort of get-off and he lacks the ideal size, bulk, and length of a traditional DT. But it’s hard to imagine a better place for him to showcase his talents while minimizing his drawbacks than in our one-gapping, aggressive, wide-9 defense.
24. CB, Cooper DeJean, Iowa
6’1” 207 lbs.
🦅 = ball hawk (yes, I realize this is an Eagle)
🃏 = versatile
👀 = high-level instincts
Despite what the internet may say, when Cooper DeJean gets selected in this year’s draft, he will NOT be the first white cornerback drafted in the past twenty years. In fact, he won’t even be the first white cornerback drafted from the University of Iowa in the past one year (teammate Riley Moss was picked in the third round last year).
Despite missing the last month of the season with a broken leg, DeJean–who is built like and returns interceptions and punts like a running back–was still named the Big Ten’s top defensive back and return man. His ball skills, route recognition, and open-field running instincts are all top-notch, and he’s unquestionably a plus athlete, but he can look a bit stiff at times on tape—especially when moving laterally. That’s a potentially significant red flag for teams like the Patriots who ask their corners to play a lot of man coverage (let’s be honest, it’s better for everyone that he does NOT wind up in Boston). Luckily for us, we are not one of those teams.
DeJean is at his best in zone coverage, where he can read route combinations and quarterbacks’ eyes and break downhill toward the ball. When he can do that, he’s a disruptive force in the passing game, a ballhawk, and a physical force against the run. He’d honestly be at his best in a scheme whose primary coverage is Cover 2—where he can roll up, press guys at the line, and jump quick hitters—but our base Cover 3 defense isn’t too bad of a fit either.
25. DE, Chop Robinson, Penn State ⭐️
6’3” 250 lbs.
🏅 = elite athlete
🤯 = limitless potential
👷🏻♂️ = work in progress
Armed with an S-tier football name and the supreme athleticism to match it, Chop is lower on these boards than I would have anticipated. After testing out of his mind at the combine, including a 4.48 forty and a 1.54 10-yard split that set a record for fastest ever for an edge player weighing 250+ pounds, he’s drawn plenty of comps to Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. While the athleticism is comparable, I wouldn’t go that far. Those other two guys were much more advanced and productive by the time they entered the NFL.
Right now, Chop is more traits than production (only four sacks last year), and his lack of size will likely always be a problem versus the run. There’s work to be had in his pass rush plan, counter moves, and anchoring strength, but his burst, speed, and bend come with some nice hand usage and flashes of him becoming a more complete player. That is to say, he’s not just a “bend it and send it” type of prospect who gets by entirely on athleticism and inevitably flames out in the league. He’s taking steps in the right direction. It’s just a matter of when/if he puts it all together. Ever since Dee Ford’s one healthy season five years ago, we’ve been looking for a true speed rusher opposite Bosa, and—with Leonard Floyd in the fold—Chop could be brought in to fill that gap down the road without being forced into starters’ reps right away. It’s rare to find a guy with this kind of athletic profile at this position and even rarer to potentially get him at the bottom of the first round. While I’m not as in love with his current game as the other players I’ve starred in this roundup, I am in love with the potential, the scheme fit, and the positional value at this point of the draft.
I dunno wtf a “FreakDaddy” is (nor do I want to), but you can’t teach that kind of athleticism and bend.
26. OT, Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
6’7” 328 lbs.
🏅 = elite athlete
🤯 = limitless potential
👷🏻♂️ = work in progress
Another giant guy with small guy movement skills, Guyton has been a late riser in the draft process, as he performed well at the Senior Bowl and his athleticism was impressive throughout the testing process. There’s some injury history here and much to improve and iron out in terms of technique (otherwise he’d have been more coveted earlier in the evaluation process), but the upside is high. Some wonder if his size and lack of leverage/power will cap him as a run-blocker, but the tools are there–particularly in the passing game–for Guyton to develop into a high-level starter at right tackle with a potential future on the left side. He just may take a little time to get there.
Note: Guyton is OT7 in this draft and marks a consensus tier cut-off along the offensive line. The rest of the guys on this list either play inside—which hurts their value—have a lower ceiling, or are much more raw than the guys above. If there’s a move up to grab an offensive lineman, it will probably include moving up to grab one of the guys already mentioned.
27. CB, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
6’1” 195 lbs.
👔 = pro-ready
🃏 = versatile
🧠 = high IQ
If you thought Chop was a cool name, get a load of Kool-Aid. Long, physical, smart, and super experienced, Kool-Aid has been a starter at Bama since stepping on campus as a five-star freshman, and he plays the game with an obvious level of intelligence and maturity. A smooth mover who is physical all over the field, he’s probably at his best rolling up and pressing guys but is adept at playing off the ball as well—making him a nice fit with our style of physical outside zone coverage.
More of a technician than an elite athlete, Kool-Aid is versatile and pro-ready—even if he may not have the ceiling of someone like Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo) or Wiggins (Clemson). Despite racking up 23 pass deflections over three years, he only registered two picks in his college career, and getting his head around and finding the ball down the field is an area where he could improve. All this points to a dude who will likely be a good starter and a long-time pro but will live more on consistency rather than generating turnovers and splash plays.
28. C/G, Graham Barton, Duke ⭐️
6’5” 311 lbs.
🃏 = versatile
👔 = pro-ready
🪨 = high floor
A three-year starter at left tackle in Duke’s zone-leaning scheme, Barton’s lack of length and struggles with outside speed rushers almost certainly peg him for inside work in the pros, but there’s a ton to like about his athleticism, experience, and overall ability at either guard or center (where he started five games as a freshman). His movement skills in particular have been vastly underappreciated throughout the process.
He’s a grinder and he’s excellent in the run game, with more than a few scouting reports referring to his blocking as “stubborn,” which is a not-even-remotely underhanded comment when it comes to offensive linemen. But he’s also got the athleticism and light feet to excel on second-level and space blocks. This is a dude who had the blocking chops and quickness to hold his own as a left tackle against Jared Verse (a likely top-15 pick this draft edge rusher from Florida State) sliding down into the interior. He’s got high-end potential and a very high floor. The biggest question is whether he’s available and whether we value an interior lineman enough to take one in the first round.
29. WR, Adonai Mitchell, Texas
6’4” 192 lbs.
🏅 = elite athlete
👷🏻♂️ = work in progress
💣 = boom/bust prospect
The George Pickens comps are spot-on, but with an even higher ceiling. Mitchell looks, moves, and makes highlight reel plays like a high-level pro. His fluidity and athleticism are truly rare for a player of his size, which results in an impressive catch radius and some circus-level grabs, but right now he’s a collection of tools and highlights more so than a sum of the parts.
But goddamn, have you seen those parts? Now, can those parts coalesce into a genuine top-end receiver? It’s certainly possible. And you can bet that with his rounded routes, poor blocking, snap-to-snap inconsistency, and shared Texas connections, Shanahan would live in his ass until he got there. But not everyone gets there. What separates elite receivers from the rest is they always have a plan, they’re always able to adjust from that plan, and they’re able to do that because they don’t waste any motion. So if the Niners are going to roll the dice on a guy with a single season of college production—and as a second receiver at that—they’d better be certain he has the mental makeup and work ethic to get there.
30. C, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon ⭐️
6’3” 334 lbs.
👊 = physical with a capital F
🎶 = tone-setter
👾 = looks like a Minecraft character come to life
The positional value for centers is not particularly high–even if it’s a spot that we seem to value a bit more than others. So it’s a true testament to the ability of Powers-Johnson and Barton that two centers are considered first-round prospects in this year’s draft. Powers-Johnson played mostly guard until this past season, when he flipped over to center, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and won the Rimington Award for the country’s top interior lineman. Needless to say, the move was a success.
Powers-Johnson is smart, strong, and built like a brick wall. Or a LEGO. And I’m not even sure I mean the LEGO people. Maybe just a building block. I honestly expected him to be a bit better of an athlete given his grade, but he’s a dude with explosive power whose smarts and physicality will endear himself quickly to teammates and coaches, and the only time his athleticism is an issue is when he lunges and misses. He is relatively new to the position and you sometimes see that in his technique, but while others may test better and look better in shorts, when the pads come on, he’s blowing the barn doors off and putting asses on the ground. That makes for a guy who can start right away with high-end potential.
31. WR, Ladd McConkey, Georgia
5’11” 187 lbs.
🍔 = undersized
👔 = pro-ready
✋ = sure-handed
If Charles Dickens was from the Deep South, Ladd McConkey would be the name of an orphan child exploring the disparity of wealth through his youthful hijinks. Instead, he’s a sneaky athletic route technician who excels at getting open on short-to-intermediate routes. He’s got quick feet, great burst in and out of his routes, and excellent route-running ability. But he lacks size, bulk, and strength, which shows up regularly on the line of scrimmage, down the field, and in contested catch situations. This all points to a guy who is either a slot receiver or maybe a z-receiver in a scheme that greatly protects its outside receivers in stacks and bunches. There are schemes like this, and—back in the Trent Taylor days—we might have been one of them, but—in our scheme—the first round is a little costly for a slot receiver who can’t play full-time because he can’t play the point in a bunch set or dig dudes out in the running game.
If we were truly shifting to more empty and lighter personnel sets, I could see McConkey feasting out of the slot. The man can get open underneath and that’s something we clearly needed in the Super Bowl. But at the moment, I like the prospect more than I like the fit.
33. DE, Darius Robinson, Missouri
6’5” 286 lbs.
👊 = physical with a capital F
🦾 = go-go gadget arm length
🍄 = ideal size
Robinson has always looked the part, but “looking the part” is often code for “not living up to your physical tools.” As a grad student at Missouri last year, Robinson was moved outside the DE and finally put it all together, leading the Tigers in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (8.5). A true power rusher, Robinson is a poster child for why arm length can matter along the d-line. He’s jarring at the point of attack and uses his arms to keep blockers at bay before wearing them down and shedding them aside, which honestly makes me think he might be a better fit as a 3-4 end than in our system. While his hand usage isn’t bad, he’s still pretty new to edge play and is going to have to figure out something other than the bull rush. Even if his bull rush is…
Yeah, it’s nice.
I have some lingering questions about his closing speed and–in turn–what his ceiling is as a pass rusher, but if he can put the tools together he could resemble a bit of the inside-out flexibility that Armstead and Omenihu have given us over the years.
34. OT, Jordan Morgan, Arizona
6’4” 312 lbs.
👊 = physical with a capital F
🎓 = experienced
🚜 = road-grader
Big and strong with the kind of grip and hand strength to erase defenders once he gets latched onto them, Morgan started 38 games over five years – missing chunks of time due to various injuries (including a 2022 ACL tear) – before starting all 12 games and being named first-team All-Pac 12 as a super senior. Morgan is fluid in space, strong at the point of attack, and physical in the run game, but he’s not as quick-footed as many of the other tackles in this draft and that can show up in pass pro. When he locks on and is strong off the snap he typically does well, but when he can’t make that initial contact, he can get off on his landmarks, and–given he lacks ideal recovery speed and has arms on the shorter side–improving his landmarks will be key to him staying outside on a full-time basis. Morgan certainly could be a tackle, but some project him inside at guard. If we’re taking him here, it should be because we see him as a tackle.
35. CB, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
6’0” 188 lbs.
🥊 = Scrappy McScrappersons
🍔 = undersized
🤕 = injury risk
A long and slender corner with a feisty, physical playstyle and the versatility and athleticism to play inside or out, Rakestraw is sticky in coverage and shows good instincts in both man and zone coverages—even if his ball production and top speed are less than ideal. He’s at his best when he can be physical at the line of scrimmage, re-route receivers, and break on underneath routes, but he may need to bulk up some to continue excelling in that capacity on the next level. The additional weight would also help him against bigger-bodied wideouts and blockers and help avoid injury—which has been a concern throughout his career. The schematic fit is intriguing, but this seems a bit high given the question marks.
36. WR, Troy Franklin, Oregon
6’2” 178 lbs.
🐆 = speed demon
😮 = big-play guy
🍔 = undersized
It’s pretty clear what Franklin’s strengths are. He’s a speed merchant through and through, with elite top-end speed and the ability to accelerate quickly to get there. He’s a ready-made vertical threat and coverage top-off man with better route-running skills than you might expect from someone with that kind of profile. But his weaknesses? Those are pretty expected. He’s tall and lanky and rail thin, which shows up at the line of scrimmage when battling physical coverage and catching the ball in traffic. In general, strength is a concern and so is the catch point, where he had a 10% drop rate this season.
37. CB, Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
6’0” 180 lbs.
👔 = pro-ready
🃏 = versatile
🧠 = high IQ
A smart and savvy defender with man and zone versatility and a high football IQ, Lassiter’s a smooth mover with good feet who is rarely out of position. His athletic traits aren’t excellent and neither are his size and strength, which is part of the reason why some believe he’ll be pushed inside in the pros. There’s also the question of his lack of ball production. But he plays hard and competes and Georgia coaches rave about his leadership abilities, which points to a solid floor. But it also points to a guy who you probably don’t want to take this early—especially if his landing spot is in the slot.
38. WR, Keon Coleman, Florida State
6’4” 215 lbs.
🍄 = ideal size
✈️ = jump ball god
🫂 = separation issues
A big-bodied basketball player-type and throwback X receiver who excels with physicality, size, and his ability to box out and win big with contested catches—catches that border on insulting. Catches like this one:
The problem is what happens before the catch. His speed is okay and good enough to make him a vertical threat given his size and the way he throws that size around, but his route running is inefficient, he doesn’t have a lot of burst, and—in general—he’s going to have issues separating on the next level. Plenty of big guys who can’t separate have flamed out in the NFL and plenty have succeeded as well. We’re just not the best place for those who want to succeed.
41. WR, Xavier Worthy, Texas
6’1” 172 lbs.
🐆🚀💨 = fast as fuuuuuu
😮 = big-play threat
🍔 = undersized
You may have heard that Xavier Worthy set the combine record for the fastest forty ever (4.21). And, if you’ve ever seen him play, you wouldn’t be very surprised by that fact. Dude has jets and is a big play waiting to happen, whether it’s down the field or by blazing by defenders after the catch—even if he’s currently much better and more consistent at the latter. In general, improving consistency across the board will be paramount to his success, but his greatest hurdle (and the potential cap on his ceiling) is how massively undersized he is. He’s not a physical player, he gets knocked off routes, and he’d need a pretty significant bulking phase to fix those problems. But also…
In many ways, the DeSean Jackson comps are warranted, and Worthy is a dude who presents enough versatility that we could find ways to get him the ball. But if we’re drafting anyone in the first round at receiver he needs to be someone who can stay on the field for run plays and get himself open rather than be schemed touches. Whether Worthy can get there with his size is the big question.
53. OT, Kingsley Suamataia, BYU
6’4” 329 lbs.
🏅 = elite athleticism
🤯 = limitless potential
💣 = boom/bust prospect
Kingsley is the only prospect I included who is outside of the consensus top 45 because—due largely to his youth and incredible physical talent—he’s expected to go somewhere near the bottom of the first or top of the second at our biggest position of need. It’s easy to see how Kingsley, his size, and his five-star blue-chip pedigree could eventually shape into a top-tier tackle, especially if he’s allowed to come along slowly in the kind of run-first, tackle-friendly offense that can protect him in pass-pro early on in his career. Are there concerns with how raw he is and how much technique work he needs despite starting two straight years at tackle? Yes. Which is likely why he’s this low on the consensus board despite having the raw tools of a guy you typically find in the top half of the first round. But he’s also 330 pounds and was No.3 on Bruce Feldman’s annual freak list after it was reported he ran a GPS-tracked 21.5mph in a game last season. There’s some boom-or-bust here for sure, but if this wasn’t such a stacked OT class, he’d likely be off the board by the late 20’s.
TLDR
I don’t really want any of the corners. Not because I don’t believe in their talent but because there are a lot of guys with decent grades through the second and third round, and I’d rather take a swing on one of them on the second day than bypass an elite-level prospect somewhere else. Of course, the ideal situation is that we get an elite-level prospect at offensive tackle. Picking at No.31 in any other draft class, that would be a pipe dream. But in this draft, with a little bit of trade ammo, it’s a definite possibility.
I have my concerns about Guyton, but if we can get him or one of the other top 7 tackles we should be thrilled, particularly if we can do it without giving up a second-day pick. When we had two third-round picks to wheel and deal with I’d have been more interested in moving one to hop up a few spots and secure a top 7 tackle. Now? I still badly want one of those guys, but I don’t like the idea of picking fewer than three times in the first two days. Not in a draft this deep with talent through the top 100 picks. That said, our roster—for the next year at least—is still so loaded that we’re looking at 10 draft picks and, at max, 5(?) spots open on the active roster. That means some picks are likely on the move.
Shipping out a fourth is more amenable than a third, but it would only give us a 2-3 spot jump at best and that may not be enough to get who we need. Of course, we also have three of those to deal with. Trading a future pick is also possible, and—if we don’t love the shape of the next draft class—that could be the move. But you're almost always paying a premium when you ship out a future pick and—to move the needle all that much in the first round—that pick would likely have to come in (at least) the third round of a year where we’re destined to have more immediate needs and more roster spots available. If it wasn’t for the depth of this class, you could make a genuine argument that trading a pick in this year’s draft to move up sets us up better for the present AND the future. But it takes some mental gymnastics to get there. And this class is quite deep.
Realistically—with our glaring need along the OL, our abundance of picks, and the remarkable depth of this offensive tackle class—a move seems more likely than not. And, for the right price, it could make sense. But it has to be for the right guy (IMO, that means Mims or better) and we can’t leverage our future for it. I’ll keep hoping that some combo of fourth-rounders will do the trick, but I’m not too confident.
If we CANNOT get one of those top 7 OTs, then I want the best available player with genuinely elite potential. We’re fortunate in that “best available” will likely align with a position of need at this point in the draft. This could be a place for Chop Robinson or Brian Thomas Jr. or we could bolster the interior with Graham Barton or Jackson Powers-Johnson. Jordan Morgan has been a popular pick for us in mock drafts. I have some concerns, but if the scouting staff is certain he can stick outside—I would understand and support the pick as we have the right scheme to hide some of his potential weaknesses. But if we’re sitting at No.31, desperately want a tackle, and don’t have Morgan graded significantly above the likes of Kingsley Suamataia and/or the guys from Houston and Yale (who we’ll talk about next time), we could benefit from trading down and accumulating picks in a class this deep at the position.
Go Niners 🏈👍