SF 49ers: 5 NFL Draft prospects who can fix offensive line in 2021

SF 49ers NFL Draft Target No. 1: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

With the SF 49ers being 2-2, it’s certainly worth looking at a player who could potentially go within the top 10 of the 2020 NFL Draft class.

This isn’t to say the Niners will be drafting there. But any draft pundit who has watched long enough knows top-10 players slip into the teens all the time.

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That’s where Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell comes into play.

Sewell is the bona fide top O-line prospect in this year’s draft. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Sewell has all the traits one would want for a plug-and-play elite-level offensive lineman at the NFL level. He moves well, plays with physicality, is smart with his technique, is excellent in both run support and pass protection, and Sewell’s decision to sit out the 2020 season in preparation for the NFL Draft tells you he’s pretty much as ready to go for the pro ranks as any prospect in the nation.

In fact, one could make the argument Sewell is the top prospect in this year’s class, including Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

The uncertainty and altering of the 2020 collegiate season amid the pandemic will shake things up, of course. But the Niners could opt to go a much safer route, grabbing someone who is NFL-ready now, especially if he winds up slipping and San Francisco’s top draft choice winds up getting closer to the top.

Either way, if Sewell is somehow on the boards when the SF 49ers’ number is called, it would be foolish to pass him up for someone else.