49ers' first-round NFL Draft pick will probably be boring (and that's OK)

The 2024 NFL Draft is on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. The San Francisco 49ers currently hold the No. 31 pick in the draft at the end of the first round.

The Niners will probably select someone casual fans may consider "boring," and that's OK.

49ers' first pick in the NFL Draft will probably be boring

It seems as if the consensus is that the 49ers will draft an offensive lineman with their first pick in the NFL Draft. Some even believe they will take multiple offensive linemen in the draft. This makes sense given the fact the O-line, while generally solid last year, definitely has room for improvement. Left tackle Trent Williams is probably the best lineman in the NFL, but outside of that, their line does not have anyone who cannot be replaced.

There have been several names connected to San Francisco in a draft that has a lot of good O-line prospects. One name that has come up is offensive tackle Graham Barton out of Duke. He played tackle in college, but our own John Porter has argued that he has the skill set to play the interior as well.

Another offensive lineman who has been connected to the 49ers is Amarius Mims out of Georgia. He could fall to the Niners at No. 31, but some project him much higher as a mid first-round pick.

Jordan Morgan is another name out of Arizona. He is projected to be a right tackle in the NFL and it seems as if the 49ers could improve over their current right tackle, Colton McKivitz. Perhaps draft Morgan and let him compete with McKivitz for the job or slowly work him in as a future replacement.

None of these picks would make 49ers fans lose their minds or go out and immediately buy one of these players' jerseys, but that is a good thing. Overall, the Niners do not have any glaring holes or massive weaknesses on their team, at least on paper. They still have the same nucleus of players who have made them a perennial NFC contender, so they have to nitpick to find areas of improvement.

Most football coaches will tell you that games are won and lost and seasons are decided at the line of scrimmage. The O-line may not be the sexiest position group out there, but it is an area where the 49ers can improve. It may be slightly boring if the team selects a lineman in the first round, but sometimes boring is good and can reap big benefits later on.

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