49ers depth chart: 3 players who benefit from Justin Skule injury
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers OL Jaylon Moore
The easy thinking is recently drafted rookies tend to get the benefit of the doubt when competing with older, not-quite-impressive veterans on the depth chart. After all, when a team like the 49ers drafts someone like Jaylon Moore, they want to give him every chance to succeed. And the fact they drafted him anyway is an indicator they’re not totally satisfied with the depth already at the position, right?
Well, not so fast.
It would be one thing if Moore was a first-, second-, third- or even a fourth-round draft pick. But being a fifth-round selection, Moore is anything but guaranteed a roster spot by Week 1.
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If there’s good news, though, the Niners were working Moore out at left tackle with the second-string unit during OTAs, meaning they’re at least thinking highly enough of him to consider a primary backup spot on the regular-season roster.
The same can’t be said for some of the weak-bubble players buried deeper on San Francisco’s offseason roster.
Moore was likely going to be tabbed as a backup interior lineman to start his pro career. But his collegiate days at Western Michigan primarily were at tackle, and the 49ers appear willing to give Moore additional spots here in the wake of Justin Skule no longer being in the competitive picture.