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49ers 2019 NFL Draft prospect profile: Guard Chris Lindstrom

By Jeremy Wohlfart

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) /
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Chris Lindstrom seems like the ideal pick at No. 36 to beef up the interior offensive line. But will he be available or will his rock solid skill set see him sneak into the first round?

For the San Francisco 49ers, there have been a lot of ideas and theories on what they will do when the 2019 NFL Draft ticks over into the second round.

The leading theory, and one expressed by none other than myself on this site, is that the 49ers will target a wide receiver with the pick, given the high amount of wide receivers in that draft range that they met with.

However, nothing is set in stone. Some really attractive second-round possibilities, such as Delaware safety Nasir Adderley and Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson, could also be possibilities here.

Here we look at another attractive prospect, Boston College offensive guard Chris Lindstrom.

Veteran lineman Mike Person was a solid contributor when he won a starting spot last season, but questions are still there about the other guard position. Nobody has staked their claim to it, which means an early pick on an attractive guard prospect is not exactly outside the realm of possibility.

So let’s take a look at the positives and negatives.

Chris Lindstrom’s Strengths

Physically, Lindstrom is the kind of player that instantly passes the eyeball test for an ideal guard. He stands at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, is solid muscle and plays nice and low against defenders. He showed some more athleticism than you might expect as well, running his 40-yard time at under five seconds (4.91 to be exact). He also ran a 7.61 three-cone time and a 4.54 short shuttle.

His arms are long enough at 9 1/2 inches to be functional, and he had a respectable 25 bench presses. This all points to an athlete with athleticism that’s above average.

His impressive resume doesn’t stop at his physical attributes, either. Lindstrom played both guard and tackle at Boston College and impressed. He has no weaknesses to his game, either, being equally proficient in both the run and passing game.

What’s really impressive is how he uses his hands. His placement is perfect, and does a great job getting them inside to stifle defenders. He does this regularly, either dropping back during pass plays or getting to the second level while run blocking.

He uses his feet well, too, and this is where his athleticism comes into play. Defenders rarely get a good angle on him because he’s so quick off the line, being able to find a perfect position to stop defenders.

Lindstrom plays smart, too, as an experienced veteran in college football should. He picks up defensive schemes well.

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Chris Lindstrom’s Weaknesses

There honestly aren’t a lot of weaknesses to Lindstrom’s game. Mentally and physically, he’s very stout and beyond reproach, and his tape reflected that during his career at Boston College.

Perhaps the biggest issue is his arms. While not a detriment, they are not very long. Lindstrom uses superior strength, footwork and technique to overcome this relative handicap, but he’ll be going up against defensive linemen with a lot more size and technique to them than your average defensive lineman in college.

Lindstrom has to make sure that his technique remains perfect at the professional level to make sure he stays the player that he’s been in college, but that’s a very small concern that’s honestly more this writer trying to nitpick something to say in this part of the article.

How He’d Fit with the 49ers

In a word? Perfectly. Lindstrom is a player who will start on almost any offensive line from Week 1.

The 49ers could use an upgrade at guard. Person could remain in his spot, while Lindstrom slides into the other guard position. He’s a fit in any scheme, and would instantly upgrade the offensive line.

Will he be available? That’s a very good question. As guards are not generally drafted very high, Lindstrom seems to hover between the late first round and the early second round, in terms of draft grade.

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A team could easily fall in love with him late in the first round, a team can never have too many blockers after all, but he could also just as likely find himself available at No. 36 overall where the 49ers are poised to select.

If he is available, then he should instantly be considered one of the top prospects to be taken. Whether or not he would be chosen is anyone’s guess, but you won’t find many safer selections in the 2019 NFL Draft.