5 Offensive linemen who should be surging up the 49ers' draft board after their Combine workouts
After seeing their failings in that area of a stacked roster contribute to their downfall in Super Bowl 58, the offensive line is viewed as a likely focus for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 49ers would benefit from upgrades at right guard and right tackle after seeing the Kansas City […]
After seeing their failings in that area of a stacked roster contribute to their downfall in Super Bowl 58, the offensive line is viewed as a likely focus for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 49ers would benefit from upgrades at right guard and right tackle after seeing the Kansas City Chiefs take advantage of their weaknesses at those spots in San Francisco's overtime loss last month.
Thankfully for the 49ers, it is a potentially historically impressive draft class at the tackle position, while there are several prospects that fit the bill for what San Francisco usually looks for on the interior of the O-Line.
Sunday's fourth and final day of workouts at the 2024 Combine gave the 49ers the opportunity to assess the physical attributes of an excellent group. With events in Indianapolis now in the books, I pick out five O-Linemen whose reputation should have improved in the eyes of San Francisco's front office following their workouts.
Houston OT Patrick Paul
The 49ers would have to flip Paul from the left side to the right with Trent Williams firmly ensconced as Brock Purdy's blindside protector for as long as the future Hall of Famer wants to be there.
But the 49ers, who met formally with Paul this week, might not worry too much about him making that switch given the combination of size and athleticism Paul brings.
Measuring at 6ft 7in and 331 pounds with arms over 36 inches long, Paul clocked a 10-yard split of 1.78 seconds while running the 40-yard dash, and his athletic ability at that size carried into a strong display in the on-field drills.
With 44 starts under his belt at the collegiate level, Paul heads into the NFL with stacks of experience but still with plenty of room to grow. The physical gifts he displayed at Lucas Oil Stadium should put him in a good position to have early success in the pros.
Texas OT Christian Jones
Jones has slightly shorter arms than Paul, measuring at 34.5 inches, but the 49ers likely left Indianapolis impressed with a day two prospect with whom they met at the Senior Bowl.
A lighter prospect at 305 pounds, Jones posted an impressive 40-yard dash time of 5.04 seconds that was the fifth-fastest among offensive tackles and featured a 10-yard split of 1.78 seconds.
He followed that up with a smooth and polished display in the on-field drills reflective of a prospect experienced in playing in a diverse run scheme akin to that of the Niners that features a lot of zone-blocking.
With 48 career starts to his name, most of them coming at right tackle, Jones is a prospect whom the Niners could take on day two and immediately put in a competition for the starting job with Colton McKivitz. In a tackle class as deep as this one, the 49ers might not need to use a first-round pick to land a potential starter.
Washington OT Roger Rosengarten
Rosengarten is another possible steal on day two, though the odds of him flying under the radar after the first round decreased with an outstanding display of his athleticism on Sunday.
He clocked the fastest 40 of the day, blazing down the track in 4.92 seconds, with a 10-yard split of 1.73 seconds.
On top of that, Rosengarten posted the third-fastest time among offensive tackles in the short shuttle, with his speed and fluid movement a defining feature of his performance in the on-field drills.
Rosengarten's arm length of 33.5 inches is more of a concern than it is with the likes of Paul and Jones, but he has 28 starts at right tackle in his career and would be a natural athletic fit for the 49ers' offensive scheme.
UConn OG Christian Haynes
The 49ers met with Haynes prior to the Combine, and their interest should be no surprise, with his tape that of a tenacious guard who plays with a mean streak while also displaying great prowess climbing to the second level in the run game.
At the Combine, the prowess Haynes showcased in efficiently accelerating to take on linebackers was backed up by his 40, which saw him record a 10-yard split of 1.75 seconds. Haynes' talents as an athlete in open space were then reaffirmed by an unsurprisingly smooth performance in the on-field drills.
He may be a little undersized at 6ft 2in and 317 pounds but Haynes, who uses his smaller frame to his advantage in the leverage battle in pass protection, is close to the archetype for a zone-blocking guard.
The 49ers' run game is more varied these days and features a lot more gap scheme runs alongside the outside and inside zone concepts, but that should not prohibit them from seriously considering making Haynes a candidate for selection on day two as a potential long-term starter at that troublesome right guard spot.
Wisconsin C Tanor Bortolini
The 49ers met informally with Bortolini, who should be in the conversation as a day-two pick following a remarkably strong workout.
Bortolini's tape is that of an extremely stout pass protector who excelled as a run blocker in Wisconsin's offense, which like that of the 49ers blends both zone and gap scheme runs.
But his film in zone blocking did not point Bortolini thriving to the extent that he did during Combine testing.
His 10-yard split of 1.69 seconds was the third-fastest of all offensive linemen, while his 40 time of 4.94 seconds trailed only Rosengarten. Bortolini went on to make history with the fastest three-cone in history by a center, breaking the record set by Jason Kelce by completing the drill in 7.16 seconds, and also set the benchmark among this year's crop of linemen in the short shuttle (4.28 seconds)
Bortolini's agile and assured movement was ever present throughout the on-field drills, his performance one that should have left the 49ers intrigued about what he could become at the next level.
The 49ers don't have a hole at center for the coming season with Jake Brendel locked in as the starter. However, Brendel's contract is one the 49ers can easily get out of in the next two offseasons, and it may behoove them to do so next offseason when a Brock Purdy contract extension will make keeping a star-studded core together more complicated.
If the 49ers are interested in identifying a developmental center to take over from Brendel in the not too distant future, Bortolini looks an excellent candidate.
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