The 49ers should draft a center this April, and North Dakota State's Grey Zabel's stock value is on the rise.
The No. 1 priority for the San Francisco 49ers this offseason is to get stronger in the trenches.
General manager John Lynch is likely to use an early pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a defensive lineman, but that shouldn't prevent him from grabbing some youthful additions for the offensive line, too.
Especially center.
Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked the Niners' incumbent, Jake Brendel, 17th out of 40 qualifying centers, but most would probably argue his 65.0 overall grade is generous. And while head coach Kyle Shanahan hasn't exactly prioritized big-name O-linemen since the 2020 transaction for All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, the addition of right guard Dominick Puni in the 2024 draft suggests Shanahan is willing to upgrade this beleaguered unit.
So, finding someone who can be potentially better than Brendel should be on the table.
If this is the case, San Francisco can highlight North Dakota State center Grey Zabel on its draft board.
Grey Zabel should be turning 49ers' scouts heads leading to NFL Draft
Zabel, 6-foot-6 and 301 pounds, has a solid makeup for an interior lineman, and his scouting report from Bleacher Report suggests plenty of promise:
"Grey Zabel is a two-and-a-half-year starter at both tackle and guard spots inside North Dakota's run-heavy (64-36 run-pass split), multiple-run scheme. Zabel has a well-proportioned build with good athletic ability and play strength.
Zabel excels as a run blocker using very good pad level and leverage to work inside/underneath his target on angle-drive and base blocks, working to step on the toes of the defender, work his hips through and seal off rush lanes behind his back. Once he gets defenders lifted he shows a firm understanding of how to create displacement away from the ball and he strains hard late in the rep to create knockdowns."
Viewed as an interior lineman at the pro level, many scouts feel he could be the first such player of this ilk called in April, likely going within the top 50 picks. While it'd be a massive reach for the 49ers to grab him at No. 11 overall, using a second-round pick on Zabel isn't out of the question.
Especially after the lineman impressed in Mobile, Alabama, during one-on-one workouts leading up to the Reese's Senior Bowl:
Couldn’t have been more impressed with @NDSUfootball OL Grey Zabel in the @seniorbowl 1-on-1s. Here are three good reps from him at three different positions (C, LG, RG)
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2025
Strong case for IOL1 in this draft, and a top 50 pick pic.twitter.com/qX2is4UXn6
Most impressive player today on either team was North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel. Played every spot up front, strong anchor, powerful hands.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) January 28, 2025
Exceptional practice today.
Granted, Shanahan has typically opted for experience at center over youthful promise. But, considering the Niners are likely to bid farewell to left guard Aaron Banks in free agency later this offseason, the option to give Zabel a shot to start in Banks' stead is there.
Provided San Francisco drafts the former Bison standout, of course.
Based on some of the prospect's work thus far, one likely wouldn't mind if the 49ers did such a thing.