Joe Tippman is the perfect solve for 49ers’ 2023 NFL Draft needs

If center Jake Brendel decides not to sign an extension with the 49ers, center will be the highest need for the team in the offseason. 

The offensive line will be a positional group first and foremost in the minds of the San Francisco 49ers front office, as two starters in center Jake Brendel and right tackle Mike McGlinchey need to be either extended or replaced.

Both have signaled that they’d like to return, but with the usual free-agent caveat of “for the right price.”

Fans shouldn’t assume either will be re-signed.

Read More: 49ers have a conundrum with free-agent center Jake Brendel

The Niners don’t pick in the 2023 NFL Draft until No. 99 overall, pending any trade-ups, so picks invested in the O-line is a necessity. Tackles who are ready to play right away are a bit hard to find in the latter parts of Day 2, but interior linemen are a different story entirely.

49ers can land their future center during NFL Draft, and his name is Joe Tippmann

This draft has quite a few intriguing prospects at center whom San Francisco can look at, and Wisconsin‘s Joe Tippmann is a prospect who looks like he could be a plug-and-play starter in Week 1.

Tippmann was someone I mocked to the 49ers in my first mock draft of the year, and it’s not hard to see why:

"Joe Tippmann has been an impressive center for the Wisconsin Badgers with only one sack and five pressures conceded for the season.Tippmann is scheme versatile and has had several impressive years with the Badgers. He looks like he can be a first-year starter at the next level with his impressive strength and athleticism. He’s good at the point of attack, and constantly gets the first punch in on his opponent.Tippmann could stand to improve his leverage a bit in the NFL so defenders can’t get under his guard so much, and that’ll show against elite defensive tackles. But all in all, he’s an excellent and safe prospect for the next level."

Tippmann’s biggest asset is his lateral movement. In the Niners’ blocking scheme, the interior linemen don’t have to be maulers, but they do have to be able to get into position and open up the running lanes or stonewall the pass-rushers. Tippmann’s tape at Wisconsin has been exceptional in this regard, and as noted above he only gave up the single sack.

Don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s some finesse player that’ll fade away if he needs to show some physicality either. He’s exceptionally strong, able to latch onto defenders and move them out of the way. His power/athleticism combination combined with his good fundamentals is what makes him such a safe pick.

Tippmann looks like he’s on the Day 2/Day 3 bubble (probably leaning toward the former). He isn’t an elite physical specimen or some super blue-chip prospect out of college whom teams will spend a first-round pick on, but he still looks like he has the skill set to be a solid pro.

The 49ers won’t get the chance to draft many starters without an early pick, but Tippmann looks like a safe set of hands to add to the offensive line.