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A player who would likely redshirt during his first season.
We’ll do weekly mock drafts to start the day on Wednesday’s from here on out now that the San Francisco 49ers season is officially over. I’ll try and use different voices throughout the process, so we aren’t getting the same thought process over the next couple of months. I was going to use a CBS mock, but they had the Niners taking a linebacker. That’s a position that’s on the bottom of the totem pole.
Let’s go with PFF’s post-Super Bowl mock draft, where the 49ers address the offensive line, but tackle and not guard:
31. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS — OT AUSTIN JACKSON, USC
Kyle Shanahan’s system relies on having athletic offensive linemen capable of executing a diverse skillset, and Jackson certainly qualifies as such. There’s no telling how much longer 35-year-old left tackle Joe Staley will be at the top of his game, so Jackson can start inside at guard in the meantime.
I’m not a big fan drafting a player who won’t play in Year 1. Also, the 49ers just invested in an offensive tackle in 2018 by taking right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Shanahan’s system does rely on athletic linemen that can execute in space and pass protect. You know who did that at a high level? Daniel Brunskill and Ben Garland. Both of those players were undrafted free agents. Rookie offensive linemen generally struggle as they are not
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