49ers: 5 predictions for John Lynch, 49ers in 2020 NFL Draft

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San Francisco 49ers offensive line (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

No. 3: 49ers will draft multiple offensive linemen

While the 49ers featured one of the stronger offensive line groups in the NFL last year, there was a great deal of flux, as every one of the opening day starters — tackles Joe Staley and Mike McGlinchey, guards Laken Tomlinson and Mike Person, and center Weston Richburg — missed time during the season, save for Tomlinson.

This forced backups like tackle Justin Skule, tackle/guard Daniel Brunskill and guard/center Ben Garland to step in for extended periods throughout the season and into the playoffs. And now Person is gone, with journeyman interior lineman Tom Compton essentially filling his role in the rotation, if not in the starting lineup.

But there stands to be a great deal of flux in the coming years, and 2020 might be the start of some of that.

There have already been some rumors about Staley retiring before the season starts, although a sudden move like that would appear out of character for the longest-tenured 49er. But he will turn 36 years old at the end of August, and while he has two more seasons on his current contract, that doesn’t mean he’ll play through the end of the 2021 season.

Much of the rest of the unit aren’t exactly spring chickens either, with a few players already over 30 years old (Garland, Compton), and several who are already in their late 20s, including Richburg (28) and Tomlinson (28).

And while offensive lineman, especially the best ones, can often continue their careers well into their 30s, it seems reasonable to begin considering how to add an influx of youth into the unit (Skule is the youngest overall at 23, while Brunskill, 26, is the youngest potential starter).

So I’d fully expect the 49ers to take at least two offensive linemen in this year’s draft, especially they fulfill projection No. 4 and start adding more selections.

One of these could be a tackle who might be a future starter on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s blindside once Staley does retire but could immediately contribute as a swing player across the line. The other could be someone who, like Compton and Garland, has experience at all three interior positions.

The Super Bowl loss showed us many things about the 49ers roster, but the lack of strength on the interior of the offensive line was one of the biggest shortcomings. This draft could be an opportunity to address that.