The San Francisco 49ers raised plenty of eyebrows with the decisions they made with their premium picks in 2024 NFL Draft.
San Francisco did a lot of work on offensive tackle prospects in a very deep class at the position, but did not select a true tackle with any of their eight picks. With the chance to take a tackle with whom they held a top-30 visit, Kingsley Suamataia, in the second round, the 49ers traded back one spot and allowed the team that beat them in the Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs, to take him instead.
Given that the struggles of right tackle Colton McKivitz played a key role in the Niners' overtime loss to the Chiefs, it seemed a very curious move for San Francisco to ignore what many considered to be their most significant need.
It will be a long time before general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan give any serious thought to next year's draft. However, in a very early 2025 mock, ESPN's Matt Miller does not see the Niners passing on another chance to address it in the first round.
His draft order, compiled by simulations of the season from ESPN's Football Power Index, has the 49ers picking 32nd with the final pick in the first round, which would obviously mean Super Bowl glory. With that selection, the 49ers take Oregon tackle Ajani Cornelius.
Miller writes:
It was tempting to put Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke or Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen here, but the 49ers have to address the offensive line after ignoring a problem area (again) in the 2024 offseason. In his first year as a starter, Cornelius locked down the right side of the Oregon line with zero sacks and four pressures allowed. At 6-5 and 308 pounds, he has the length and lateral agility to fit the 49ers' zone-blocking scheme while also giving them a long-term plan for Trent Williams' eventual retirement.
Drafting Cornelius to start at right tackle and then potentially take over from All-Pro Williams on the left would be a solid plan. Were the 49ers to go in that direction, it would see them go against offensive line coach Chris Foerster's approach to team building that he laid out after the draft.
Asked about the 49ers electing against taking an offensive linemen early, Foerster said: "This is my personal opinion, if they ask me, invest in guys that touch the ball, guys that can touch the ball and score touchdowns.
"And then there’s a range of guys, second, third, fourth round, fifth round even, that we will find starting offensive linemen in. At some point can you draft them? Yeah, you draft Trent Williams. You pick a draft where you’re getting a difference maker.
"So, will we draft the best available player, all those types of things? Definitely will. And were we possibly ready to draft guys higher in the draft? Yes. But if there’s somebody that can touch the ball and make plays, in my opinion, if you ask me, ‘Chris, do you want him?’ I want the guy that touches the ball, for me. Because I think we can develop those players much more readily and have developed those players through the times because we do have specific things that we’re looking for."
Foerster's claims that the 49ers can develop offensive linemen drafted in the later rounds were met with understandable skepticism given McKivitz's at best average play last year and the ups and downs endured by fourth-rounder Spencer Burford at right guard.
If the 49ers are swayed into taking a tackle in the first round after winning the Super Bowl, it will be a clear indication they aren't as confident in their ability to develop lesser prospects in that crucial area of the roster.
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