SF 49ers mock NFL Draft: Constructing the ideal 2021 rookie class

SF 49ers Round 2, Pick No. 63 Overall: OT Cole Van Lanen, Wisconsin

The 49ers sent off two mid-round picks, including their Round 3 selection in 2021, to Washington in exchange for perennial Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams.

The hope is, of course, the Niners are somehow able to re-sign Williams after this season. San Francisco already reworked Williams’ deal after the trade, but one of the byproducts is it won’t be able to use the franchise tag on him. So it’s either a re-sign or a walk in free agency.

And if Williams continues to play as he has for much of training camp against the 49ers’ elite defensive line, it’s highly probable he prices himself out of John Lynch’s price range.

The good thing, though, is the 2021 draft is awfully deep along the offensive line, and it wouldn’t be a shocker to see the Niners use at least two picks on linemen next year.

Especially if they have a chance to grab someone from O-line University, Wisconsin.

Offensive tackle Cole Van Lanen could rise up to be a bona fide Round 1 selection in next year’s NFL Draft, yes. At 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, Van Lanen moves exceptionally well for a player of his size and is an absolute mauler in the run game. That’ll be the first set of traits head coach Kyle Shanahan will want to see for his zone style. And while Van Lanen is nowhere near the kind of pass protector he’ll need to be at the pro level, at least in comparison to Williams, there’s plenty of room to improve his technique.

And San Francisco would have another young anchor point along its O-line, too.