5 prospects 49ers can draft to upgrade the offensive line

Everyone has a different wish list coming into the offseason, but for a while now, it seems that San Francisco 49ers fans have been universally calling out for improvements on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

The Niners' initial moves in free agency -- adding a Nick Bosa bookend in Leonard Floyd, remaking the defensive tackle position with the acquisitions of Jordan Elliott and Maliek Collins, and acquiring a young tweener in Yetur Gross-Matos -- have certainly gone a long way to doing at least one half of this, reshaping large parts of the defensive line.

At the time of writing, though, beyond smaller re-signings such as offensive lineman Ben Bartch, no capital has been invested into any remodeling. This likely has something to do with the blown-up market for offensive linemen, as the Carolina Panthers' $100 million deal for reputed 49ers target Robert Hunt can attest.

It's reasonable to assume the 49ers would still very much like to improve their offensive line, building depth and skill, as well as allowing marginal starters like Colton McKivitz to play a more Daniel Brunskill-like role (remember him?), that of the versatile backup, something he may be better suited to on the whole.

Fortunately, as the Niners hold 10 picks in the deep and forthcoming draft, there should be several opportunities available to the team to build some young, talented offensive line depth at a cost-effective price.

Let's take a look at some possibilities and their fit onto San Francisco's roster.

No. 1: Jordan Morgan, Arizona

One of my personal favorites is Jordan Morgan, the 6 foot 5, 320-pound tackle from Arizona. He is projected to be picked around the 49ers' first-round pick at 31 in many mock drafts, and there are plenty of reasons why Morgan might appeal.

Despite his large frame, he has good mobility, especially when getting to the second level on run blocks. His pass protection is also a significant strength, mostly notably demonstrated in a game against UCLA where he received a 91.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, while facing several NFL prospect rushers. He's been a durable, reliable, player, ending his three-year college career having played 33 games and only allowing eight sacks overall.

Most project Morgan as a right tackle in the NFL, and given his skillset, particularly in pass protection, Morgan could therefore be a significant upgrade. One knock on Morgan is his shorter arms, which traditionally has been something the 49ers shy away from at the tackle position. Fortunately, he also potentially has the versatility to slide in and upgrade the depth chart at guard, particularly on the right-hand side, where Spencer Burford and recently re-signed Jon Feliciano platooned last season.

In a world where NFL teams are increasingly carrying seven starter-level offensive linemen, Morgan's skillset and versatility could give the 49ers a lot of options at multiple positions along the line, while ostensibly freeing up others to play roles that they may be better suited to.

No. 2: Amarius Mims, Georgia

Perhaps the highest-ceiling player linked to the 49ers, Amarius Mims is a neophyte offensive tackle coming out of the storied Georgia program.

Pro Football Focus mocked him to San Francisco in their latest mock draft, with Gordon McGuinness having the following to say about him:

"Mims has all the talent to go well before this, but his lack of experience — he has played just 803 snaps in his college career — pushes him a little further down the board for me. He earned PFF grades above 70.0 in all three seasons of his career and moves way better than you would expect for a player who weighs in at 340 pounds."

Gordon McGuinness, Pro Football Focus

There's certainly no doubting Mims' talent level. In many ways, he projects similarly to Jordan Morgan: being a good mover at a large size and an excellent run blocker. Also, the talent level he has played with and against suggests he would have few issues stepping up to the next level. When he's been on the field, he's been consistent, and there's no question, given his upside, that he's one of the top prospects who could be available at pick No. 31.

What holds Mims back as a prospect is the fact that he hasn't been on the field all that much. He's quite raw, and because he's entering the draft after his junior season, he's played significantly less football than some other prospects in the class.

This probably explains his volatile positioning in mock drafts, with some having him go as high as the top 15, whereas some have him falling to the Niners' pick at 31.

His potential is very high, and while the thought of a high-upside player so late in the first round is nice, it would not be hugely surprising if a team working in its Super Bowl window such as the 49ers would turn their hand to someone who would lend immediate help in a more experienced, plug and play starter.

There's a scenario where the Niners see him as a long-term Trent Williams replacement, rather than an immediate Colton McKivitz upgrade, however, so he remains a strong possibility.

No. 3: Troy Fautanu, Washington

Perhaps one of the less-heralded choices for the 49ers' first-round pick, Washington's Troy Fautanu is a tackle/guard tweener made up of brute strength and athleticism, often overwhelming opponents with sheer power and bulk inside.

The fact that he comes from one of college football's most proficient passing offenses also means that his pass protection, often a weakness of bulky, powerful blockers, is equally strong, only allowing three sacks in his college career.

Due to this pass-protection skill, he would likely appeal in the same way as Jordan Morgan and Amarius Sims. What he has over Morgan is arm length, sitting comfortably in the acceptable range for a tackle, while his age (he's due to turn 24 years old during his rookie season) gives him a little more seasoning as well as a higher floor than Sims, if not the same ceiling.

The questions around Fautanu likely relate to that ceiling more than anything else. While he's got plug-and-play potential, it's reasonable to assume that he might not develop into a top-end tackle, given the amount of football he's already played.

More than most, he projects as a pure right tackle or possibly even fits better at guard, given his size, so this limits his potential to replace someone like Trent Williams long-term.

Still, Fautanu is a solid prospect who will certainly be in consideration, and he's a big part of a deep draft at tackle.

No. 4: Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

The final tackle prospect on this list is a man drawing huge attention from NFL scouts, with 28 teams in attendance at his recent pro day, according to The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler on X:

It's not too hard to see why when you look at Fuaga's skillset.

Per PFF, he allowed no sacks in his college career and only five quarterback hits. His pass protection is almost certainly why NFL teams are taking a strong interest in him, as very few players leave the college ranks with such strong pass-blocking capabilities.

This would no doubt appeal to the 49ers, too, as if he could translate his pass-protection skill to the NFL, and he would almost immediately become one of the team's best offensive linemen and a sure-fire starter.

Unfortunately, as good as his pass protection is, it seems to be one of the only major developed sides to his game. He's an unvarnished, raw prospect who will need time to adapt to the league. As with Amarius Mims, this rawness may make him an unappealing prospect for a team trying to get over the hump in the next two or three years.

An unnamed NFL scout on NFL.com's scouting report also projected him to guard:

"I see him as a very good starting guard. I think you might need to help him against edge speed if he stays at tackle."

West Coast NFC Scout, NFL.com

This would naturally reduce his value to San Francisco, as the value proposition at guard may be somewhat less than at tackle.

No. 5: Graham Barton, Duke

Our final prospect, and the only pure guard/center prospect on this list.

Graham Barton was a tackle at Duke, however, the nature of his skill set (being particularly adept at run blocking), as well as his shorter-than-ideal arm length, means he projects as an interior player in the NFL.

While there's not an especially glaring hole at his most likely NFL position of center (Jake Brendel seemingly being entrenched as the starter), interior rushers seem to be gaining in value, and by correlation, the guard and center market has also blown up to match it. Witness the aforementioned Robert Hunt deal, as well as the Tennessee Titans deal for Lloyd Cushenberry.

Therefore, a solid, versatile interior lineman at a cost-controlled price makes a lot of sense.

Barton himself is an athletic run-blocker who projects well in a Kyle Shanahan zone-blocking system, so it's easy to see the appeal in bringing him in.

He likely upgrades the right guard position early, but his versatility allows him to project as possible depth or a future starter at three of the five offensive line slots. upgrading depth at either center or guard from Day 1.

An unnamed NFC scout also lauded his consistency in this report for NFL.com:

"So much fun to watch a lineman with that kind of consistency and effort on every play. He’s the same player in every game."

NFC scout, NFL.com scouting report

While this wouldn't be the sexiest pick, it is often the kind of pick a consistently successful team makes in the draft: a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect who can add something to the team from day 1.

It seems quite likely that the 49ers will invest at least some draft capital into the offensive line in the NFL Draft, but whether it will be their first-round pick remains to be seen.

Hopefully, this gives you some idea of the options and directions they might be able to take when their time on the clock arrives on April 25.

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