That’s right, the 49ers have a first-round pick. Will they have 2?
Draft season is fully underway as mock drafts are flying. I had a chance to catch up with Matt Miller, draft analyst for ESPN, to discuss his latest mock draft, the pick for the 49ers at 31, and the possibility of Brandon Aiyuk being traded on draft day.
So, obviously, the biggest thing that the 49ers need to address, I think, at this point is the line, and you have Jordan Morgan (OT, Arizona) going 31st.
Trent Williams has a year or two left, depending on who you talk to. Do you see this being a fit where he can start a right tackle and possibly take over for left tackle because it is hard to play both positions?
Yeah, I do. I think we’re seeing a little bit more of that now. We were talking about that with Roderick Jones. You play right tackle for a year, then you move over. We’re going to see that in Arizona with Paris Johnson. Play right tackle for your move-over.
So I think with Jordan Morgan, there’s that potential. He’s interesting to me because I’ve talked to teams that say he’s a right tackle. I’ve talked to teams that say he’s a guard. He’s kind of getting just thrown in that mix right now, doing a little bit of everything as a prospect. He’s shorter-armed, and the 49ers, as we know, are big on arm length.
I think that could also be a spot where he probably gets moved inside. More to guard as opposed to being the future replacement for Trent Williams, who hopefully is longer away than it is closer. But if they’re looking at the need to draft someone to eventually replace Trent Williams, then you’re probably looking at someone like Patrick Paul from Houston, who would be more of a developmental player but has that arm length.
He’s got the agility. He could play right tackle for a year and a pinch. And then, you move him back over to left tackle. And maybe two years when Trent Williams heads to the Hall of Fame.
Morgan is listed at 6’6, 320 pounds. Per Pro Football Focus, Morgan allowed two sacks and one quarterback hit in 477 pass-blocking snaps this past season. He finished with an 83.5 grade overall at left tackle.
What are the chances, you believe that Brandon Aiyuk gets moved on draft day?
Man, I think there’s a possibility. I don’t want to be the guy who says Brandon, I was getting traded, but there’s a lot of smoke there right now. So I at least think it’s possible, if not probable. We’ve seen it before with, you know, A.J. Brown players like that. So I do think there’s at least a possibility.
And if so, then wide receiver becomes the biggest need for that team.
The A.J. Brown trade was as close to a draft day trade as it gets. The Titans received the No. 18 and No. 101 overall picks. Then, signed Brown to a four-year, $100 million contract.
They proved that replacing a proven commodity is easier said than done. Brown’s replacement, Treylon Burks, has 665 receiving yards in two seasons.
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