San Francisco 49ers add fuel to speculation of surprise move in first round of 2024 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers' pick in Mel Kiper Jr's final mock ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft was an eyebrow-raiser, but it appears they are indeed interested in selecting Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten. Rosengarten is not widely regarded as a first-round prospect, yet Kiper has him penciled in for the 49ers with the 31st […]
The San Francisco 49ers' pick in Mel Kiper Jr's final mock ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft was an eyebrow-raiser, but it appears they are indeed interested in selecting Washington offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten.
Rosengarten is not widely regarded as a first-round prospect, yet Kiper has him penciled in for the 49ers with the 31st overall selection.
The 49ers' actions on Saturday will only increase speculation of them making a surprise move in the first round.
General manager John Lynch and offensive line coach Chris Foerster were on hand for a spring practice for Washington on Saturday, but the most intriguing development came after it had finished.
Per Ben Glassmire of The Huskies Wire, Lynch and Foerster stayed behind after practice, just as Rosengarten started a workout.
That seems a lot more than coincidence, and would appear to indicate the 49ers having a private workout with a prospect whose stock has steadily risen throughout the process.
Rosengarten did not give up a sack in 625 pass-blocking snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus, excelling in pass protection and run blocking in large part because of athleticism that was apparent the Combine, where he posted an A to Z Sports athletic composite score of 93.9%.
Having played for Ed McCaffrey in high school and spent the pre-draft process working out with 49ers legend Joe Staley, with whom he compares extremely well in terms of his athletic profile.
Rosengarten, despite some concerns over his arm length and vulnerability against leveraged bull rushes, fits the bill for what the 49ers look for on the offensive line, and they may view him as their long-term answer at right tackle, the biggest hole on San Francisco's stacked roster.
The question, though, is whether the 49ers do indeed view him as a first-round pick, or whether they agree with the media consensus and are willing to gamble on being available on day two.
