49ers: 5 offensive linemen San Francisco should target in 2018

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Quenton Nelson, Guard, Notre Dame

The No. 1 interior lineman on my big board is Quenton Nelson out of Notre Dame. If Reuben Foster was clean and out of trouble, there would be a legitimate argument in selecting Nelson as the No. 1 pick for the 49ers.

In viewing tape of Nelson, anyone with eyes can certainly see he is a football player able to start day one for the 49ers. Nelson is a plug-and-play player and would fit Lynch’s internal mold of “tough guy.”

At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, Nelson brings to the field a bad disposition with complete annihilation of his opponents in mind.

Considered the No. 1 overall guard or interior lineman coming out of college, scouts and GMs are absolutely drooling over Nelson.

If the late, great Dick Enberg ever had the opportunity to cover one of Nelson’s games, and viewed his athletic prowess by plowing down his opponents, then no doubt in my mind Enberg would install his famous phrase, “Ohhhh Myyyy!”

Personally, I can see a scenario where Nelson drops to the 49ers at No. 9 or No. 10 overall. The top 10 selections will no doubt be quarterback friendly, and with teams having specific needs to fill, Nelson may just fall into the Niners’ selection.

However, lets be patient in not jumping the shark.

The Chicago Bears select before San Francisco at No. 8 overall. And while they want and need a No. 1 wide receiver to assist quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, it would only make sense they target either Courtney Sutton from SMU or the overrated Calvin Ridley out of Alabama. The Bears will be able to get either in the middle of the first round.

I can see a scenario where the Cincinnati Bengals move up to No. 8 overall from their No. 12 spot to take Nelson. The Bengals know the Niners need interior linemen badly, so they move up to jump the 49ers and take the best center in this draft.

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In turn, the Bears get their top wideout target for less money, while restoring draft picks they lost to the 49ers in the previous year.

John Lynch fleeced the Bears and GM Ryan Pace in the 2017 NFL Draft. Moving one spot down, Lynch secured multiple future picks while the Bears and Pace obtained the services of Trubisky as their franchise QB.

A little football justice or some payback from Pace in 2018? Just speculating.

I would love to see Nelson as a 49er, but the need at linebacker is so great with Reuben Foster‘s off-the-field stuff looming large. The 49ers will almost have to trade down, and if possible, trade all the way down to No. 20 through No. 25.

Look out for my mock draft coming soon!