3 players 49ers should draft to increase Super Bowl Odds
By Josh Yourish
It would seem that the best way for the San Francisco 49ers, who might still have the best roster in football, to increase their Super Bowl odds would be to have a starting quarterback.
However, when the NFL Draft begins next week they won’t be able to magically heal Brock Purdy’s elbow or know if Trey Lance can actually play in the NFL. They also won’t be able to pick in the first two rounds of the draft because building a roster like theirs comes at a cost.
The 49ers do however, have three compensatory picks at the end of the third round, so here are three players that they can nab in the later rounds to help bolster one of the best rosters in the NFL and get over the hump in the NFC.
49ers Super Bowl odds
San Francisco 49ers 2023 Draft Targets
- Matthew Bergeron
- Blake Freeland
- Tuli Tuipulotu
Matthew Bergeron – OT Syracuse
Bergeron is an athletic offensive tackle who was raw when he got to Syracuse from Quebec and he turned himself into a second team All-ACC tackle.
He’s 6-foot-5 318 lbs and has the size and length to possibly hang on the outside in a zone-run scheme like Kyle Shanahan’s though his ultimate destiny may be to kick inside to guard.
Either way the Niners need help on the offensive line to protect whoever is at quarterback after losing Mike McGlinchey in free agency this season.
Blake Freeland – OT BYU
It’s really the same story with Blake Freeland. He’s coming from a zone-run scheme except and he got to college very raw as an offensive linemen. He was able to put on weight after playing quarterback for much of his high school career and now stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 302 lbs. Dane Brugler sees him as a fifth round pick, but he will fit better with San Fran than anywhere else.
The Niners could use a high-upside project at tackle, so while Freeland won’t really get anybody excited on night two of the draft, he could be a starter at right tackle down the road and the Niners are desperate to win on the margins with an expensive roster and very few picks.
Tuli Tuipulotu – EDGE USC
Now, we turn to the defensive side of the ball which could get interesting with the departure of DeMeco Ryans. Steve Wilks is now the DC for San Fran and I don’t expect a ton to change on defense.
The Javon Hargrave signing was huge for the 49ers to shore up their run defense which was a huge problem with Javon Kinlaw at DT. Now, they can add a 6-foot-3 266 pound edge rusher to rotate at edge opposite Nick Bosa.
It’s clear that they want to beef up the defensive line which last season was built on four pass rushers, and Tuipulotu would give them size and physicality in the run game, while also having pass rush instincts. Last season he led the NCAA in sacks with 13.5.
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