NFL Draft: 3 offensive guards 49ers watch if Aaron Banks goes bust
By Peter Panacy
Rebels . Ben Brown. 2. player. 841. . Offensive Guard/Center
49ers NFL Draft Target No. 2: Ben Brown, Ole Miss
San Francisco doesn’t just have to think about potentially finding a replacement over Aaron Banks. It also has to consider a long-term replacement for veteran center Alex Mack, who’ll turn 36 years old later this season.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t typically like to rely on young, relatively inexperienced centers to helm his complex offense. So, there’s room to find an interior lineman now who can play guard, then groom him with the eventual hope of taking over Mack’s spot in a couple years’ time.
Read More: 5 first-round draft prospects 49ers hope fall into Round 2
One such player to watch is Ole Miss center Ben Brown.
Brown has the flexibility to play all three interior spots and possesses some of the best football intelligence out of any prospect entering the 2022 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, Brown makes up for a relative lack of ferocity with excellent technique, and this isn’t to say he plays with a low-quality motor.
With plenty of experience on his resumé, Brown is a quality prospect the Niners have to consider targeting as early as Round 3 of the draft.