San Francisco 49ers: A few solid options with ninth-overall pick
By Kevin Saito
Taking an offensive lineman in the first round is rarely considered a sexy pick. It’s all about the touchdowns, right? But, sometimes, it’s the smart move to make – sexy or not.
San Francisco 49ers
Fresh of paying franchise quarterback Jimmy Garopollo enough money that his children’s-children’s-children won’t have to worry about keeping the lights on, the 49ers now need to turn to finding ways to keep him upright and healthy.
They have a pair of very solid tackles in Joe Staley and Trent Brown, and have fortified the middle by acquiring center Weston Richburg, but they need to do something to solidify the interior of the line. Joshua Garnett and Laken Tomlinson are adequate, but neither is exactly, dominant.
Enter Notre Dame standout guard Quenton Nelson.
At six-foot-five, 329 pounds, Nelson is a mountain of a man. But, he’s got elite athleticism, solid speed, impressive power, and well above average footwork. Nelson is brutal in both run blocking and pass blocking, and along with tackle Mike McGlinchey, formed a solid, nearly impenetrable wall on the left side of Notre Dame’s line.
Simply put, he’s dominant at the position. So dominant, in fact, that most scouts have him pegged as a first round target, with some calling him, not just one of the best offensive linemen in the Draft, but one of the best players in the Draft – Period.
Though he’s been linked to Denver at number five, there is the possibility that John Elway and company could go after a quarterback after losing out in the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes.
The team made a very sizeable investment in their future by signing Garopollo to a massive deal. Now, they need to make sure they protect that investment. Which makes Nelson a very, very good fit on the interior of that line.