The team is looking to bring in depth along the offenisve line
The San Francisco 49ers are likely looking late in the draft at potential depth for the offensive line. Per Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports, the team is scheduled to workout Villanova offensive tackle Brandon Hitner. The 6’6, 305 pound tackle posted a 5.16-second 40-time, vertical jump of 32.5 inches, and a broad jump of 115.5 inches at Villanova’s pro day. Those jumps would have been top five at the NFL combine. So one thing we know about Hitner is that he’s an athlete.
If the 49ers are looking to add versatility, it would make sense why they are interested in Hitner:
“I went into Villanova playing guard, not really knowing what to expect, because I played guard throughout high school. Then they threw me out at tackle because of depth issues. I just stuck with tackle the rest of my career but I feel like guard is a good spot for me and I definitely feel like I’m versatile enough to play all three positions.”
Having a player that can play all three positions is the type of versatility that make offensive line coaches salivate. Hitner started the past two years at right tackle before he was a swing guard for Villanova. I have never seen him play. Lance Zierlein—who does the scouting reports for the NFL’s website—predicts Hitner to be a borderline draftable prospect. This was the anonymous executive quote:
“His intelligence test was off the charts. He had the physical profile to move inside to center and now we know he has the mental profile as well.” — AFC personnel executive
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