Trade acquisition deadline After making his debut, Chase Young made an instant impression, making many wonder if the 49ers should consider re-signing him or just renting him for the remainder of the campaign.
The Niners would likely utilise their first-round choice on an edge and overlook the worst players on the roster at the top of the Niners draught if Young goes in free agency, as has historically happened.
The 49ers have only utilised one first-round pick at offensive line during the Kyle Shanahan era, Mike McGlinchey in 2018. He turned out to be an error. Before that draught, I was beating the table for Derwin James.
Further back is even more deserted. Since Shanahan and John Lynch joined the team in 2017, San Francisco has not selected a defensive back or safety with a first- or second-round pick.
In my opinion, the Niners should re-sign Young if he keeps up his current level of performance, not only for the production but also to protect themselves from the reflexive first-round defensive line pick and themselves.
In the event that the Niners gained an advantage in the opening frame, half of the Shanahan Era’s eight first-round selections would have been used on defence.
That isn’t the foundation of a winning squad.
The 2024 Draft’s First Round
Shanahan’s cap strategy recommends skimping on offensive line members other than left tackle. Since spending a lot of money in free agency is eliminated, the draught must produce long-term starters at right guard and right tackle.
This season, Colton McKivitz was given a chance and performed at the level of a backup swing tackle. A fresh start is required.
This year’s draught saw the Niners pass on a tackle, with Shanahan citing reasons such as potential candidates’ lack of experience at right tackle or incompatibility with their profile. This draught is different because a lot of the top tackles have played outside zone in the run game and have expertise on the right side.
The expected pick range for the Niners is 25–32. By then, the top four tackles in the draft—J.C. Latham of Alabama, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Joe Alt of Notre Dame, and Olu Fashanu of Penn State—have already been selected.
Arizona’s Jordan Morgan 6-6/320 Following ACL surgery last year, Morgan recovered well. He received an overall grade of 82.3 from Pro Football Focus this year; the previous year, he was 82/79 pass/run. His hands, footwork, and consistency are his strong points; he has surrendered two sacks and eleven rushes.
Georgia’s Amarius Mims 6-7/340With only a few games remaining, Mims has the option to go back to Georgia. In 2025, if he stays, he might be selected in the top ten. He has taken on physical tools, strength, length, and a nice bend, as well as clever angles and a lot of promise, if he goes now.
Kingsley Suamataia (BYU) 6-6/325 – Suamataia was 3rd on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List for the top athletes in college football. He plays faster than linebackers at a tackle’s size. BYU has clocked him at 21.5 on the GPS and his coaches believe Suamataia can run the 40 in the 4.8’s. Only six offensive linemen have ever run 4.85 or faster at the NFL Combine. If he runs that fast, he’ll move up draft boards.
Suamataia has long arms and gets out in pulling and blocks at the second level. In pass pro, scouts indicate he needs work on balance, hand location, and letting edges get into his body. He has experience on the right side, starting there all of last year. A right tackle with Suamataia’s speed would be handy against quick edges like Micah Parsons and Haason Reddick.
Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma) 6-7/327 –Guyton is an effective run blocker in space with agility and speed, but he plays too upright and lacks leverage and power, making him vulnerable in pass protection.
Patrick Paul (Houston) 6-7/315 – Long arms make him tough to beat once he locks in on the defender. Smaller faster edges can beat him with speed and bend as Paul is not an effective bender. He’s solid in the running game.
Others: Graham Barton of Duke, USC’s Jonah Monheim and Washington’s Troy Fautanu play tackle in college but are expected to move inside in the pros. Fautanu is having an excellent season for UW but had a bad game against Utah, allowing five pressures.
Second-round picks at tackle include Notre Dame’s Blake Fisher, a highly intelligent player with physical tools but he hasn’t put it all together yet. He’s played right tackle throughout his career.
If the Niners don’t go right tackle in the first, the collective groan from the Faithful will be heard far and wide. The top player from other positions projected to be available at the Niners pick includes:
Edge – Chop Robinson (Penn State) 6-3/254 – The 4th ranked edge, he runs a 4.47 40 and a 4.22 shuttle. This year he has three sacks with a forced fumble in nine games. He’s 9th on the Freaks List and has the fast first step and bend the Niners look for at edge. Penn State is a proven program at defensive end, producing Micah Parsons and Arnold Ebikite.
Defensive Back – Terrion Arnold (Alabama) 6-0/196 – A fast riser up the draft boards, Arnold has the physicality Steve Wilks wants as a corner that can stop the run while having the skills for man coverage outside. He has 49 tackles with three interceptions and eight pass breakups.
Wide Receiver – Xavier Legette (South Carolina) 6-3/227 – A Deebo clone with size, speed and YAC ability. Another YAC ace is Malachi Corley of Western Kentucky 5-11/210, went for over 1,200 yards last year and is on pace to do it again this year. He has nine TDs with a long of 70.
Keeping Chase Young is expensive, but he’s a proven talent at 24. Cap expert Jason Hurley lays out a scenario where the Niners can keep Young and extend Brandon Aiyuk, provided Young is willing to sign a big bonus backloaded contract.
I’d rather keep Young and draft Suamataia than draft Chop Robinson, get a lower tier tackle, and a lower tier everything else. By using all of the roster tools available to them, the Niners can upgrade the roster where it’s needed most in the draft.
