Niner Noise
FanSided

5 players the 49ers need to watch at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine

By Peter Panacy

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: Running back Dalvin Cook of Florida State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: Running back Dalvin Cook of Florida State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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CHESTNUT HILL, MA – OCTOBER 13: Chris Lindstrom #75 of the Boston College Eagles leads the Boston College Eagles out of the tunnel before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Alumni Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
CHESTNUT HILL, MA – OCTOBER 13: Chris Lindstrom #75 of the Boston College Eagles leads the Boston College Eagles out of the tunnel before the game against the Louisville Cardinals at Alumni Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

Most of the 49ers’ needs in the 2019 NFL Draft will be on the defensive side of the ball. But that doesn’t mean John Lynch and Co. should avoid targeting offensive players, even with the team’s first two picks.

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

One of San Francisco’s bigger offensive needs this offseason is along the offensive line, particularly within the interior. Left guard Laken Tomlinson suffered a torn MCL in Week 17 last year, which casts some doubt on his availability in training camp. Right guard Mike Person is a pending free agent, while former first-round draftee Joshua Garnett‘s future is cloudy, at best.

As such, it’s perfectly feasible the Niners use an earlier pick to grab someone like Boston College offensive guard Chris Lindstrom, who had plenty of excellent moments during the 2019 Senior Bowl.

Lindstrom is one of the more athletic linemen in this year’s draft class — a player who thrived in Boston College’s run-heavy offense, which utilized plenty of bootlegs, play-action passes and kick-outs. Those are all elements of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme, and Lindstrom has already demonstrated a keen ability to block in space in such a system.

Depending on how he tests, particularly with some of his pure strength, the 49ers may be enticed to use their second-round pick (No. 36 overall) on a player of Lindstrom’s caliber.