Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: 2018 NFL Draft options to help fix the offensive line

By Peter Panacy

Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Commissioner Roger Goodell names a pick by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 NFL Draft (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 06: Isaac Rochell #90 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rushes against Mason Cole #52 of the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium on September 6, 2014 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Michigan 31-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 06: Isaac Rochell #90 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rushes against Mason Cole #52 of the Michigan Wolverines at Notre Dame Stadium on September 6, 2014 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Michigan 31-0. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Offensive Lineman Mason Cole, Michigan

6-foot-4, 297 pounds

San Francisco can get by with offensive tackles Joe Staley and Trent Brown in 2018, at least we hope. The interior has been the biggest issue.

The center position is one of importance for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone system, and it’s one of the reasons Shanahan campaigned for veteran center Alex Mack’s acquisition by the Atlanta Falcons in 2016.

When Shanahan came to San Francisco, he inherited Daniel Kilgore — an oft-injured lineman playing center, currently ranked as the 29th best center out of 36 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Kilgore will also be a free agent after this season, and it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Shanahan looking for an upgrade.

Enter Michigan’s Mason Cole.

What He Does Well

Cole is a four-year starter, who spent all of his 2016 season playing center under head coach Jim Harbaugh. But Cole has also played guard and tackle spots, adding to his versatility.

The DraftBreakdown.com video below, in Michigan’s 2016 contest versus Ohio State, shows Cole’s ability to execute proper outside-zone blocking techniques, frequently locking up bigger defenders with relative ease:

The Concerns

Fox Sports details some of the worries teams may have about Cole:

"The one small concern with Cole is that he has a short/stocky build. However, he has long arms which basically negates any problems with his lack of height. In fact, most evaluators want a shorter center who can gain leverage easier. Cole’s lack of length does limit his position versatility meaning that he’ll need to stick to the interior of the offensive line."

He can get beat with good spin moves by pass-rushers too, which was evident by the film and something that could be exposed at the next level.

Projected Round: 2-3