49ers grab small-school lineman Nick Zakelj in NFL Draft

The 49ers look to beef up their offensive line depth via the 2022 NFL Draft, and small-school prospect Nick Zakelj is the next up to have this chance.

One of the San Francisco 49ers’ primary strategies during the NFL Draft, especially on day three, is to find players they think stand the best chance of making the 53-man roster.

This might lead to some questionable selections and reaches instead of going with the best players available. But considering some of the successes the Niners have had in recent seasons over the last four rounds of the draft, perhaps general manager John Lynch and Co. have some idea what they’re talking about.

San Francisco kicked off its first of three Round 6 selections of the 2022 draft by grabbing Nick Zakelj at No. 187 overall, the offensive tackle out of Fordham to help boost the depth behind starting tackles Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey.

49ers take Nick Zakelj in Round 6 of 2022 NFL Draft

Another small-school prospect with relatively little by the way of national attention, the 6-foot-6 and 316-pound Zakelj was a four-year starter and managed to work his way towards being a day-three draft projection.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described Zakelj this way:

"Decorated four-year starting tackle with NFL-caliber size and traits. Zakelj plays with strain and aggression. However, his block sustain and finish are occasionally derailed by modest knee bend and core strength at the point of attack. Athletic feet and reactive athleticism allow him to stay connected to outside edge speed or inside counters in his pass sets. Despite his foot agility, he is just average in getting three-techniques reached on backside zone blocks, but there is a noticeable pop into initial contact when coming off the ball and getting downhill. Field toughness, an NFL frame and pass protection ability give Zakelj a shot as a swing tackle with the potential to develop into a bigger contributor."

The 49ers do have some question marks regarding their swing-tackle role entering 2022 despite adding UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford earlier in the draft. McGlinchey is still working his way back from a torn quad suffered last season, while their 2021 backup tackle Tom Compton left for the Denver Broncos in free agency.

At worst, Zakelj will have a chance to compete for that swing-tackle role with the possibility of turning into a low-end starter within a few years’ time.