We have yet to see the impact of this year's rookie class, but plenty of prognosticators have already turned the page to the 2024 NFL Draft, in which the 49ers will have a first-round pick for the first time since 2021.

Those in the college scouting side of San Francisco's front office will by this point be focusing on next year's class as the Niners take the early steps towards identifying the player they should select with that premium pick.

A lot can and will change between now and the period of the calendar widely regarded as draft season.

However, ESPN's Jordan Reid has picked out a player he believes should be on San Francisco's radar as a potential first-round pick.

In an early mock draft, Reid has the 49ers selecting BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia with the 29th overall pick.

Explaining the pick, Reid wrote:

With Mike McGlinchey heading to the Broncos, the 49ers are pivoting to Colton McKivitz at right tackle — and they showed confidence in him by signing him to a two-year extension this offseason. But Suamataia would be an interesting addition to the mix if McKivitz doesn't live up to the investment. He could be a star in a zone-blocking scheme, like what coach Kyle Shanahan runs in San Francisco. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, he has good movement skills but is still working to gain strength in his upper body.

Reid is correct that the fit and the position makes sense. McKivitz, having only started five games and just two at tackle, has a lot to do to prove himself as a long-term solution on the right side. Both his starts at tackle were on the left.

Even if McKivitz does impress, a selection at tackle could still be a prudent move, as the 49ers will eventually need a successor to All-Pro Trent Williams at left tackle.

And Suamataia's learning curve would perhaps not be as steep as many rookies given his experience in a zone-blocking scheme at BYU. San Francisco has incorporated a lot more gap scheme runs into its playbook in recent times, but there's reason to believe Suamataia would be immediately comfortable with at least some of the 49er offense.

Should he declare for next year's draft, Suamataia would enter the draft as a 21-year-old. Entering the league at such a young age, San Francisco could potentially even give him a redshirt year to learn the offense behind Williams and McKivitz, who will be a free agent after the 2024 season.

The 49ers will hope McKivitz effectively fills the void left by Mike McGlinchey and makes the right tackle role his own. Yet with Williams entering his age-35 season, tackle is a position that should always be on San Francisco's radar.

Because of the level of talent and depth on their roster, the 49ers can theoretically afford to make first-round picks with the future in mind. 

Having not had the luxury of the first-rounder for the past two drafts because of the Trey Lance trade, the Niners might be more inclined to take an instant impact player. If that is the case, a tackle picked by San Francisco in the opening round would likely be expected to usurp McKivitz.

But the 49ers are not in the business of letting one player's performance dictate their draft strategy. They know the value of investing regularly in both sides of the trenches. Regardless of how McKivitz's first season as a starter pans out, a young prospect like Suamataia with zone-blocking experience will likely feature prominently on their draft board if he impresses in 2023.

San Fransisco 49ers 2023 NFL Draft Class

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially underway for the 49ers so keep up with all the action, here.

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