49ers NFL Draft grades: Day 3 reinforcements net good results

The 49ers didn’t land any splashy sleepers on day three of the 2021 NFL Draft, but the net-result grades are good enough to suggest success.

The San Francisco 49ers know all too well day three of the NFL Draft can be a vital one. Heck, all one needs to do is look back to the 2017 draft when the Niners selected a little-known tight end out of Iowa, George Kittle, only to see him turn into one of the game’s most prolific and impactful stars.

While the headlines centered around San Francisco’s No. 3 overall pick, quarterback Trey Lance, days two and three could end up being just as vital.

It was pretty clear general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan were intent on reinforcing their depth, particularly along the offensive line and within the secondary, while also kickstarting what could eventually be a complete overhaul of the running back room.

Day three of the draft highlighted all these areas of focus, and the 49ers came away with four players on Saturday:

• Round 5: OT Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan
• Round 5: CB Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon
• Round 5, S Talanoa Hufanga, USC
• Round 6, RB Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana Lafayette

It’s a different animal grading players selected on day three of the draft since the expectations are so different. Many of these players throughout the league won’t make a 53-man roster, and some will find their respective NFL dreams finished by the end of August.

That said, there’s still a need to determine a value based on fit, potential and need.

Overall, the Niners get some good grades on their picks between Rounds 5 and 6 with two of them highlighting Saturday’s class the most.

Round 5, No. 155 Overall: 49ers selection of OT Jaylon Moore

It might be fair to question San Francisco’s second-round selection of Notre Dame offensive guard Aaron Banks, as that might have been a bit of a reach at No. 48 overall with some wondering about the overall scheme fit.

Yet the fifth-round grab of Moore makes a bit more sense, particularly when considering his own fit in Shanahan’s outside-zone blocking system.

Moore, 6-foot-4 and 311 pounds, is a natural mover and shouldn’t have any issues executing pulls and bootlegs. He’s also pretty well balanced as a run blocker and pass protector, although he can have issues with stronger, faster pass-rushers who have given him trouble at the collegiate level.

Most big boards and draft profiles pegged Moore as a fifth-round addition, so the 49ers surely don’t suffer any “reach” setbacks here as far as grades are concerned. And while Moore was primarily a right tackle in college, him potentially moving inside to guard would help his versatility.

For now, Moore projects as a competition piece with reserve linemen like Colton McKivitz, Tom Compton and Justin Skule.

It shouldn’t be too tall an order to overtake at least one of those players on the depth chart this offseason.