49ers build around Jimmy Garoppolo in 4-round mock NFL Draft

Round 3, Pick No. 102 Overall (Compensatory): 49ers select center Josh Myers, Ohio State

It seems all but certain San Francisco will move on from veteran center Weston Richburg this offseason, both as a cap casualty and as the result of Richburg’s injury history, which forced him to miss all of 2020.

Richburg’s absence last year created a revolving door at the position, and the 49ers never truly solved it. While there are free-agent options out there, such as targeting Atlanta Falcons veteran center Alex Mack or re-signing reserve center Ben Garland, the idea of getting someone who could potentially be a day-one starter or, at the very least, a developmental year-one reserve option would seem smart.

As far as zone-style centers go, few pique the interest more the Ohio State center Josh Myers, who has good lateral movement and is able to execute the pulls and misdirections after the snap about as well as any center in this year’s NFL Draft class.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Myers has some stiffness to his game at the second level, but it isn’t as if he struggles to get there. That’ll be key in developing his pro-level skill set.

At least over the long run, Myers could be an excellent starting option to either fill in for Richburg right away or emerge as a long-term choice in relief of any short-term starter like Mack or Garland.