With the initial spending spree of free agency finished, Niner Noise looks at five players the 49ers could be looking at with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
The San Francisco 49ers are in a situation they haven't been in for a while, and that's deciding which prospect they'll be picking with a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
With the Niners officially free from the restrictions of the Trey Lance trade, they will be looking for an immediate starter as they try to win a Super Bowl before they pay quarterback Brock Purdy some serious franchise quarterback money.
While the team went here and there with free agency, they didn't make any major acquisitions outside of dependable veteran EDGE Leonard Floyd on a very reasonable sum. There are still some holes the team would like to address.
Read More: 49ers were wise to steer clear of these free agents
Of course, there's one more factor for the end of the first round, and that's if a prospect falls to them who represents too much value to ignore.
But which players make sense? Let's take a look.
We here at Niner Noise are unabashed fans of Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Jordan Morgan. Hell, we've said on several occasions how much sense he makes as a prospect.
And why wouldn't we?
The talented tackle is on the first/second-round bubble and is coming off an excellent performance in the NFL Combine. He might have been out of reach most years, but an exceptionally talented offensive line class might let him slip a bit into San Francisco's lap.
While Morgan has some limitations with arm length, the fact he let in one sack shows he has the technique to overcome this.
I also highlighted how impressive his combine was:
"Jeremy Wohlfart, Niner Noise
Morgan measured in slightly taller than expected at 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds. He followed this up with a strong athletic performance including a 5.04 40-yard time and a swift 1.70 10-yard split. He is a finesse blocker for the next level, but he has strong left tackle upside."
If nothing else, Morgan can always be an excellent guard if the 49ers don't like his arm length. Bottom line, he would be a Week 1 upgrade.
Graham Barton represents an interesting quandary for teams given he's a prospect who could legitimately start at all five positions on the offensive line, providing some flexibility that's almost unmatched in the NFL.
Niner Noise's John Porter specifically highlights Barton as an interior blocker, and certainly, that makes sense, given Barton has short arms and some teams are a bit hesitant to trust such players on the outside of the offensive line.
But I'm not sure I share the outlook he's restricted to being a center or a guard. He's an excellent blocker given his power, blocking prowess, athleticism, intensity and ability to fit into multiple schemes. This includes the 49ers and their zone-based scheme.
Left tackle might be a step too far with his arm measurements, but good technique can overcome this limitation so it isn't impossible.
At the very least, he could project as a good right tackle.
And it should also be noted that the 49ers place a lot of stock into positional versatility. A player who can adequately cover three, four or even all five spots on the line would be an excellent selection at No. 31.
So this one is a bit dependent on the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors, but should the 49ers decide to get a haul of picks for him, then there's going to be a noticeable gap that the team would want to fill so they don't hinder Brock Purdy's development.
While Texas Longhorns wide receiver Xavier Worthy got all the headlines with his NFL Combine performance, his teammate had an excellent performance in his own right and is the more polished receiver.
Adonai Mitchell transferred from Georgia to Texas, and the move paid off, as he recorded 55 receptions for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Longhorns. He's a good size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, showing exceptional athletic skills with a 4.34 40-yard time and a 10-yard split of 1.52 seconds.
Mitchell projects as a player that would fit well in the 49ers' motion-oriented offensive scheme. His ability to work off the ball and get free would work well within the Niners' offense and he's an exceptional route runner who got taught well at Texas.
If there's a weakness to Mitchell's game, he cannot get free of physical corners who can get onto him. He's not someone who works physically, instead preferring to use his speed to get free. That being said, his ability to break tackles and generate yards after the catch means he's not averse to using physicality to his advantage.
Mitchell is a receiver on the Day 1/Day 2 bubble who could easily move into the first round after the NFL Combine.
If the 49ers need a receiver, he's someone for them to consider.
The best center in the draft is Jackson Powers-Johnson. The Oregon Duck is well and truly in first-round consideration with his ability to also start at guard making him an attractive and versatile prospect.
This pick has two considerations in mind. The 49ers could use an immediate upgrade at right guard while looking for a center in the future. Powers-Johnson can fit both criteria and be an immediate asset while also providing long-term stability at center.
Powers-Johnson is a good size at 6-foot-3 and 328 pounds. He packs a punch as both a run and a pass-blocker and fits well in the 49ers' zone-blocking scheme as well, given his ability to intelligently diagnose both run and pass defenses and understand his assignment.
Powers-Johnson doesn't have elite athleticism and his length is short even for an interior lineman, but he's an intelligent and highly focused player who loves football and is a good guy to have in the locker room. His technique is exceptional, and he just has the tools that teams like.
It's possible Powers-Johnson doesn't even make it to No. 31, but he should be in the discussion if he does as a safe pick that can improve the 49ers' interior blocking immediately.
The ultimate boom-or-bust of all the tackles in this draft, Amarius Mims has everything needed to be a franchise left tackle in the NFL but has scared teams with his lack of experience, injury history and the deep tackle class providing safer prospects.
As a result, there's a chance Mims could slide all the way down to No. 31.
The positives are readily apparent. Physically he's a monster standing at 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds but still recording a 5.07 40-yard time and second-fastest short shuttle time at 4.33 seconds. His arms are massive at over 36 inches long, he's ridiculously quick, strong and just bullies defenders at every point at the game. If one were to design a prototypical left tackle physically and in terms of skillset, this is the guy.
The negatives are also very apparent. Mims was hurt twice last year and has had only eight collegiate starts. He couldn't finish the NFL Combine, and he has some minor character concerns off the field, which he did well to ease concerns with at the combine interviews but still scared teams just a little bit, given how many poor characters have come from Georgia in recent years.
But this could be something for the 49ers to take advantage of.
They have the best left tackle in the league in Trent Williams, a locker-room leader who would be a perfect mentor for Mims. Mims can start at right tackle right away and slide over to the blindside when Williams retires.
With the ability to trade up given they have more picks than needs to fill on the roster, the 49ers have a big chance here to swing big.
The team is certainly doing its homework, given it's met with the tackle already.