49ers 7–Round Mock Draft: An aggressive trade back in Round 1
By Ryan Heckman
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Round 3, Pick 77: Matt Peart, OT, UConn
One of the major needs for the 49ers to address sooner or later has to be up front. We still do not know whether or not Joe Staley is going to retire or return just yet, but just in case, it would be a great idea to snag someone to come in and groom.
Matt Peart out of UConn could certainly be groomed into a future starting tackle for the team, even as soon as this year if Staley leaves.
Peart is a giant of a man at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds. He’s a pretty decent athlete as well. Peart ran his 40-yard dash in a quick, unofficial 5.06 seconds.
As a four-year starter, Peart has plenty of experience to offer. He gets off the line in a hurry and has become much more fluid with his movement over the years.
One of the main areas he could improve is in his overall play strength, but that is simply going to be about adding more muscle. He has plenty of room left to put on weight, and once he does, Peart could be one of the better tackles in football.