5 sleeper draft prospects 49ers must watch closely at NFL Combine

49ers Prospect No. 3: Jaxson Kirkland, Offensive Tackle, Washington

Another prospect who will be 25 years old as a rookie, Jaxson Kirkland will appeal to teams in the middle rounds needing a potential right tackle or guard, as he has the capacity to play both from his time at the Washington Huskies.

Kirkland has good length and a good size (6-foot-7, 310 pounds), and he’s a smart blocker who uses the tools he has. It’s probably fair to call him more of a finesse blocker than a true power player, but he has the functional strength to stop him from getting pushed around.

The lineman’s versatility to play tackle or guard will appeal to San Francisco, which often needs to shuffle around the offensive line out of necessity. He’s not a liability in either run or pass blocking, so he looks like he could be a solid steal at the next level.

Kirkland’s main problem is his height-to-weight ratio. He’s very tall at 6-foot-7, so it can be hard for him to play with leverage against defenders as his inability to anchor in that situation leads him to lose reps.

Additionally, he could serve to improve his leg strength for the next level, but he could be a savvy pick who right now is on the Day 2/Day 3 draft bubble.