49ers 2021 NFL Draft live tracker, reactions and updates
By Peter Panacy
player. 819. . Offensive Line. Fighting Irish . Aaron Banks. 48
Round 1, Pick No. 48 Overall: OL Aaron Banks, Notre Dame
One should have predicted John Lynch to trade around all throughout the NFL Draft, which is precisely how Round 2 kicked off when the 49ers were originally slated to pick at No. 43 overally, only shipping off that selection and their seventh-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for the No. 48 overall selection and a fourth rounder.
It’s pretty clear the Niners weren’t exactly dead set on any one particular player they didn’t think would slip, particularly with Las Vegas grabbing TCU safety Trevon Moehrig at No. 43.
Meanwhile, San Francisco elected to reinforce its offensive line, grabbing Notre Dame’s Aaron Banks.
Banks, a 6-foot-5 native of Northern California, isn’t necessarily a side-to-side mover. But he has power and should shore up one of the 49ers’ primary weaknesses the past two years: the interior of their offensive line.
After adding veteran center Alex Mack, Banks should be able to compete right away for the starting right guard position while possibly looking to be a long-term replacement for left guard Laken Tomlinson, who enters a contract year in 2021.