There’s a high chance the 49ers got a bust in second-round lineman Aaron Banks, meaning they might have to revert back to the NFL Draft for a replacement.
Things aren’t looking so good for the San Francisco 49ers‘ Round 2 pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, former Notre Dame offensive guard Aaron Banks, who was supposed to step in right away and compete for the starting right guard spot with the veteran, Daniel Brunskill.
Instead, Banks struggled in training camp and then suffered a shoulder injury early in the preseason that further limited his development.
Since that point, 10 weeks into the 2021 regular season, Banks has been active on game day only twice and has yet to see an offensive snap. And as far as any special teams activities, he’s gotten only four of those.
It’s safe to say the Niners are looking at the very real chance Banks is turning into their next major NFL Draft whiff, which isn’t exactly the kind of return the team needs on a second-round investment.
San Francisco will likely remain patient with Banks, at least for another year. But Brunskill is a restricted free agent in 2022, while veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson is one of the unrestricted variety and could command a hefty price tag of his own on the free-agent market this offseason.
At any rate, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the 49ers look for some younger replacements in the 2022 NFL Draft this spring.
The matter is complicated, though, as the Niners are without a first- and one of their third-round picks in next year’s draft because of last spring’s trade-up to grab quarterback Trey Lance. Combined with sizable roster needs elsewhere, San Francisco might need some bargain day-three additions to either upgrade or replace Banks altogether.
Here are three such prospects who could fit the bill.
49ers NFL Draft Target No. 3: Emil Ekiyor, Alabama
At 6-foot-3 and 324 pounds, Alabama right guard Emil Ekiyor isn’t a high-profile prospect who’ll wind up going on the first or second day of the NFL Draft, but his intangibles might be enough to entice a team like the 49ers to seek out some quality depth on day three with the long-term hopes of turning him into a starter.
One of the reasons why is Ekiyor isn’t overly athletic and will struggle with side-to-side movements. But when he’s in his space, it’s easy to see how he can win with quality hand placement and strength. As far as run support goes, Ekiyor is a high-quality option to explore. And it isn’t as if his lateral mobility is a complete liability. He simply doesn’t move quite as well as many of the other interior linemen in the upcoming draft class.
A three-year starter, one who played a number of positions already for the Crimson Tide, Ekiyor might want to trim his weight just a little bit but without sacrificing his tenacity and physicality.
Currently, it’s looking as if Ekiyor would be a top-end Round 5 selection, making him a perfect target for the Niners with one of their late-round picks.
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.
49ers NFL Draft Target No. 1: Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
There’s always the chance San Francisco uses its first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to address its offensive line concerns, and focusing on the trenches first and foremost is never a bad strategy. Even for a team that has a lot of pieces in place.
This would mean a likely Round 2 targeting of the final player on this list, North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu, who has spent the last two years for the Wolfpack playing tackle but projects better as an interior lineman at the NFL level.
There’s no comparison when viewing Ekwonu’s tenacity on the field, and he’d easily help give the inside of the 49ers O-line some toughness, which would be a boost for a unit having to play Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald twice a year.
On top of that, the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Ekwonu is an exceptional run blocker and can win with both power and movement skills, traits that would make him a fit in a zone-style offense without sacrificing anything on man-gap interior assignments.
Ekwonu won’t last too long in the draft, though, and the Niners may have to consider trading up to get him in Round 2 depending on what the order winds up being once the season is over.
Even so, Ekwonu is a player who’d be worth that kind of aggressive move.