ESPN released a 2-round mock, and the 49ers “reached” in each round
We’ve discussed why the San Francisco 49ers must add competition at right tackle in the NFL Draft. Many draft pundits are penciling in one of the top offensive linemen to the Niners at pick No. 31.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. was no different in a mock draft he released on Wednesday. It’s a new name that has ties to the McCaffrey family:
Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
I’m going to stick with my projection from Mock Draft 3.0, as Rosengarten could challenge Colton McKivitz for snaps at right tackle. Rosengarten didn’t allow any sacks in his 1,158 pass-blocking snaps for the Huskies. He also has some familiarity with one of San Francisco’s stars, as Christian McCaffrey’s dad, Ed, was his high school coach for two seasons at Valor Christian in Colorado.
Washington’s offense was littered with NFL talent. Their quarterback, three wide receivers, and both offensive tackles will be drafted within the first three rounds this month.
The draft community would view this as a reach. Most draft guides have Rosengarten rated closer to 90 than 30 overall.
Rosengarten is a promising athlete who shows quickness to cut off linemen and does a solid job of playing inside out in pass protection. But his hand size, arm length, wingspan, and weight are all in the 30th percentile or worse. He’s also the opposite of a Mike McGlinchey in the strength department, as getting movement in the running game or latching on and sustaining blocks is not Rosengarten’s strong suit.
He is a four-year sophomore, so there’s room to grow his game and get stronger. This selection would be the 49ers telling us they feel there’s a steep drop-off at the tackle position, and they wouldn’t be confident in another tackle falling to them in the next round that is starting caliber worthy.
Kiper Jr. also made a selection in the second round at pick No. 63 for the Niners:
Dru Phillips, CB, Kentucky
I thought about defensive line for the 49ers, but Phillips could add immediate depth to a secondary that needs a talent infusion. He allowed just a single touchdown catch as the nearest defender in coverage over the past two seasons. He has intriguing physical traits, but he’s a little raw as a cover corner.
The Baltimore Ravens took Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe at 62, while the Kansas City Chiefs selected BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia at 64. So, two players sandwiched in between Phillips, who are a round or two better than Rosengarten. That’d be tough to swallow, especially knowing the organizations both prospects went to and how impressive they are at developing talent.
Phillips is small by any measure, struggles to tackle in the open field, and needs help guarding bigger wideouts. He’s a prospect that will likely fall to the fourth round. Both of these picks would be viewed as reaches, and I’m not sure either fits what the Niners are looking for at their respective positions.
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