San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft Outlook Post Free Agency
OFFENSIVE LINE
A team cannot succeed without a good offensive line. 49ers had a plethora of offensive line issues in 2014.
Injuries to Mike Iupati, Alex Boone, Daniel Kilgore, rookies Brandon Thomas and Marcus Martin, and Anthony Davis hurt the 49ers offensive success. 49ers finished the third-worst in the NFL in sacks allowed with 52.
Remarkably, Frank Gore was able to rush for over 1,100 yards and Colin Kaepernick to throw for over 3,000 yards. Despite a glimpse of success, the 49ers had their troubles.
Jonathan Martin proved to be a unworthy swing tackle, as he increasingly got worse as the season progressed. In the offseason, the 49ers decided to part ways with the former Stanford standout offensive lineman.
Reagrding offensive inconsistencies, injuries were a big contributor.
Kaepernick has been deemed the franchise quarterback as Harbaugh made him his guy in 2012 after an Alex Smith concussion. Over two full seasons, Kaepernick has got by, but has not excelled to the level 49ers fans had hoped.
This offseason, Kaepernick has put in work in Phoenix to improve his decision making and mechanics, and the quarterback coach has already noticed signs of good things to come.
For Kaepernick’s full potential to arrive, he needs an offensive line to stay healthy and be consistent. Built for the run currently, the 49ers need to address linemen with some balance between pass protection and run blocking.
Joe Staley is not getting any younger and the 49ers are running out of options to boost the offensive line. Thomas, who missed all of 2014, will be back to help the interior, but Davis and Staley lack a backup. Pears is a nice addition with his versatility across the line. The 49ers lack a consistent swing tackle for the time being.
Staley probably has around two high performance years left before he will need a replacement. Now would be the time with a deep offensive line draft class.
A forgotten senior from LSU, La’El Collins would be a superb addition.
Highly touted out of high school, Collins signed with LSU, one of the nation’s and SEC’s finest powerhouses. LSU produces a lot of talent for the next level.
Collins has left tackle size and potential as he regained recognition in the Senior Bowl after a poor season for the LSU Tigers. Collins is first-round worthy and may even slide into the top 15. Bucky Brooks from NFL.com currently on his latest mock on March 30th has La’El Collins going to Atlanta Falcons at number eight.
Collins strong Senior Bowl performance, NFL Combine, and Pro Day results proved to boost his stock – arguably one of the first tackles taken in the draft.
Sitting at 15 may be risky for the 49ers to try and lure in Collins, which may require the team to move into the top 10 to select the LSU offensive tackle.
If the 49ers do not go offensive tackle, guard is also a need.
Boone does not look to be around long-term after a dispute with his contract the previous offseason that stretched into camp. While he is here now, his spot will need to be filled soon. Martin — who is naturally a guard — wants to permanently switch to center. To address the guard position, Thomas should slide in for Iupati who left for the Arizona Cardinals. To replace Boone, Brandon Scherff or Laken Tomlinson would be viable options as they bring toughness to the interior and flexibility across the line..
With a deep offensive line class in the 2015 NFL Draft, 49ers have plenty of options to help address the future and add depth for the time being.
Next: Safety