Uhhhh, have you guys seen the offensive line?
The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a week away so that means one last week of overanalyzing mocks and arguing our stances on what position the 49ers should draft first.
NFL.com has a seven-round mock from Chad Reuter we are going to go over today. There are trades and there are some surprises. . His idea was to think outside the box like what really happens on draft day. The logic computes, the execution for the 49ers leaves me scratching my head.
The first pick is a trade the 49ers make with the Green bay Packers to move up to 25. Here they draft Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Whether it’s for a cornerback like McKinstry, an offensive lineman or a receiver, the 49ers could very well give up a mid-round pick to acquire one of the few missing pieces on an otherwise potent roster.
McKinstry has been showing some fascinating stuff as of late. Rohan has a good write up of him with his only issue being McKinstry’s physicality.
While I’m beating my desk for the 49ers to get the offensive line figured out as that was a key component in their Super Bowl loss—not to mention it’s a potential larger obstacle in the future—I would not at all be annoyed if McKinstry was the first name the 49ers called. The 49ers secondary has potential depth problems and when someone goes down, someone else either plays out of position or Ambry Thomas comes in. Both of those are alternatives that don’t inspire confidence.
The rest of the draft is below:
2nd Round (63): Ricky Pearsall, Wide Receiver, Florida
3rd Round: Trade with Kansas City
4th Round (124): Calen Bullock, Safety, USC
4th Round (135): Jared Wiley, Tight End, TCU
5th Round (176): Caeden Wallace, OT, Penn State
6th Round (211): Jarrett Kingston, Guard, USC
6th Round (215): DJ James, Cornerback, Auburn
7th Round (251): Winston Reid, Weber State
Respectfully, I have to really disagree with all of this. Not taking an offensive tackle until the fifth round seems like madness. Then again, this is the 49ers. If that Baltimore game doesn’t have them drafting a line early, nothing will. Drafting a wide receiver in the second round is a luxury they can’t afford, provided they don’t trade Brandon Aiyuk (and while people want to speculate on social media, logic says it’s not happening). The only way the 49ers draft a wide receiver that high is if they offload Aiyuk, and if they do, they’ll burn a first-rounder on the position.
Not taking offensive line until the fifth round somewhat is what got the 49ers into the offensive line issues they have right now. I’m not saying a first round pick needs used (please do, however), but waiting that long and taking a wide receiver in the second doesn’t seem right.
Adding that sixth round guard gives this a 2022 draft vibe where they went to the offensive line later in the draft and it simply didn’t work. I’ve seen this movie, I know how it ends, and it’s not a story I’d want to experience a second time.
I get the reasoning for surprises and simulate what happens during an actual NFL draft; when the draft actually begins, logic goes out the window. I just don’t see how the 49ers make some of these selections late and early.
Furthermore, I understand there are surprises, but where is our yearly 49ers running back misfire? You know, the third or fourth-round pick used on back that doesn’t work out past the first season? I don’t doubt one or two of these players could come as a surprise, but I just don’t see the entire draft shaking out in this fashion, even by 49ers’ standards.
I do like that first pick though. Aside from the fact I just want someone on the team named Kool-Aid to root for (as does Fooch). Bring back that old Kool-Aid theme from the 90s while you’re at it. That solves some defensive issues and gets that side of the ball some help. I can live with that, but please for the love of all the football gods, draft an offensive line after that.
What do you think of this mock? You like it? See it as a possibility? Are you scratching your head?
Better question: When is the absolute latest the 49ers should address the offensive line? Here it seems too late. What round would you be comfortable with them getting things going there? Remember we have the right side, and a Trent Williams understudy to consider.
About the Author: Insidethe49
