49ers NFL Draft: 5 prospects by position to target with No. 12 pick
By Peter Panacy
882. . Offensive Tackle. Wildcats . Rashawn Slater. 3. player
49ers NFL Draft Target No. 3: Offensive Tackle Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Speaking of the trenches, San Francisco is going to have a glaring hole at left tackle if it allows the perennial Pro Bowler, Trent Williams, to hit the free-agent market this offseason.
And there’s a good chance Williams tests those waters anyway, likely commanding a deal in the range of $18 million annually, which could easily price him out of the 49ers’ comfort range.
Good thing the 2021 NFL Draft is laden with quality offensive linemen, and there are a number of first-round targets the Niners could consider at No. 12 overall or even later, should they elect to trade down out of that spot.
Related Story. Rashawn Slater might be 'the pick' for 49ers at No. 12 overall. light
One of those is Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, who possesses solid movement skills and also has the versatility to play essentially any position along the offensive line. While the most pressing need would be at left tackle, Slater being able to pop within a zone-style system would play to his benefit, and he’d be a shoo-in starter right out of the gate. At least somewhere.
O-linemen selections aren’t overly sexy or favored. But considering the importance of O-line protection and prowess in today’s pass-happy, pass-stopping NFL, San Francisco could do much worse than target Slater with its top draft pick.