49ers NFL Draft: Top 5 Round 1 targets after blockbuster trade

49ers Target No. 4: Offensive Tackle Penei Sewell, Oregon

No, seriously?

You’re right, probably not. But let’s just briefly explore the argument a bit.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall, and doing anything else otherwise would be a PR disaster for a team in complete rebuild mode. But for much of 2020 and even parts of 2021, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell was widely viewed as the best overall player in this year’s NFL Draft, the one most likely to become a perennial Pro Bowler and potential Hall of Famer.

But, wait. Didn’t the 49ers just re-sign left tackle Trent Williams to a massive deal?

Why, yes. Of course, the Niners did. Yet the argument for Sewell, as weak as it might seem on the surface, wouldn’t be to take over for Williams. No, instead it would be to take over the right tackle spot in favor of the incumbent, Mike McGlinchey, whose pass-protecting woes have been problematic for San Francisco ever since he was selected in Round 1 back in 2018.

McGlinchey might not receive his fifth-year option, and it’s entirely plausible the 49ers look to move on. Giving up multiple first-round picks to get a player of Sewell’s ilk makes this scenario seem awfully unlikely, but it’s at least in play.

And it would be about as shocking as what the Niners did when they selected McGlinchey while offensive tackle Trent Brown was still on the roster during that 2018 draft.

Now that we’ve got a Sewell possibility out of the way, let’s look at another position player.