The Niners are showing interest in a number of projected first-round offensive linemen.
The San Francisco 49ers have been all over the place when it comes to the NFL Draft, taking five different positions with their first pick in each of the last five drafts.
However, none of those picks have been an offensive lineman, as the 49ers haven’t taken the position with their first pick since drafting Mike McGlinchey at No. 9 overall back in 2018.
McGlinchey, who played right tackle throughout his 49ers career, didn’t make it to a second contract, instead earning a hefty contract on the open market after his five years in San Francisco.
Instead, the 49ers have looked to the middle rounds of draft, while also pursuing veteran options to fill out their offensive line. They traded midround picks for Trent Williams. Drafted Aaron Banks in the second line. Signed Jake Brendel for cheap in free agency. Took Dominick Pun in the third round. And drafted Colton McKivitz in the fifth round back in 2020.
Well, 2025 could finally be the year that the 49ers strategy changes around the offensive line, as they have the No. 11 pick in the NFL Draft, where a number of quality players could be available at the position.
Not only should certain players be available, but the 49ers are also showing some interest during the pre-draft process, holding formal meetings at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with several offensive linemen projected to go in the first two rounds.
Some of those names include LSU’s Will Campbell, Texas’s Kelvin Banks Jr., Missouri’s Armand Membou, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, and Oregon’s Josh Conerly.
Each of the five players appear to be solid targets for the 49ers within the first two rounds as they search for a tackle of the future, given the uncertainty of Trent Williams and that Colton McKivitz on an expiring deal.
Now, a couple of these prospects could be better suited to play guard, which fills more of an immediate need for the 49ers with the impending departure of Aaron Banks, who has likely priced himself out of San Francisco’s range heading into free agency.
Campbell (32 5/8-inch arms), Banks (33 1/2-inch arms), and Simmons (33-inch arms) all measured under the coveted 34’’ arms for tackles, which makes the tape study even more important for each prospect to see whether it’s plausible to stick on the outside or kick in to guard.
Of course, should the 49ers take an offensive lineman this high, they would be going against their draft approach in recent years, but the team has shown a desire to get younger and address needs a year early.
That could be the case with the offensive line, where both tackle positions could be in flux after next season, only emphasizing the need for a future tackle.
Tackles in the NFL are hard to come by, especially after the early rounds of the draft, which makes it reasonable that the 49ers could actually end up taking an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the very least, the 49ers are doing their due diligence on all of the top linemen in the class. But, there could be something more brewing as the draft process continues, with top-30 visits being the next marker of interest.