San Francisco 49ers: Post-Super Bowl 54 7-round mock NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
Tigers . Saahdiq Charles. 139. player. 817. . Offensive Line
The 49ers offensive line was tested to the extreme in 2019, and it’s amazing to think this unit held up well enough en route to the Super Bowl. Many a playoff-hopeful team has seen its chances ultimately derailed by injuries up front.
But those injuries did provide a warning to San Francisco: depth is going to be key moving forward.
The interior could use some help, potentially looking at long-term upgrades for guards Laken Tomlinson and/or Mike Person. And the unthinkable is becoming thinkable: finding an eventual replacement for veteran left tackle Joe Staley, whose current contract ends in 2021.
It’s possible the 49ers are viewing undrafted free-agent lineman Daniel Brunskill as a proverbial “diamond in the rough” replacement. San Francisco’s 2019 draft pick, Justin Skule, remains a developmental option, too.
Still, finding those depth pieces with potential to develop into something more is vital.
Enter the NCAA champion, LSU offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles.
At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Charles needs to add some bulk to compete with some of the better pass-rushers at the pro level. He’s pretty raw, too, although his campaigns with the Tigers regularly showed improvement with each passing season. There’s plenty of reason to suspect that trend continues in the NFL.
Charles might have a ceiling as a swing tackle, and the 49ers can attest to the value of those. But he also could emerge as a decent starting option inside.