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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler was left impressed by everything the San Francisco 49ers managed to pull off during last month's three-day draft. Even more impressive was the team's haul despite entering the draft with no selections between rounds one and five.
San Francisco addressed a couple of roster holes with its two first-round selections, adding defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Fowler calls the former a "possible top-10 talent," and the latter a "run-after-catch demon."
Fowler's feature focused on some of the draft moves that surprised NFL executives with which he spoke. Included was the 49ers' trade for seven-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams, who will replace retired left tackle Joe Staley.
Wrote Fowler: "They gave up a third-round pick next year and a fifth this year, but who cares? Williams, despite his age (31), should be among the game's best tackles in 2020."
One NFC executive did have some concerns about Williams' fit in the 49ers' run-heavy offense, but his overall talent should make up for any potential shortcomings. Plus, it provides quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo with the peace of mind that he has a 320-pound behemoth protecting him on one side of the field.
"If you go by his 2018 tape, yeah, he's still playing at a really high level," the executive told Fowler. "His pass protection is stellar. I wouldn't call him a gritty run-blocker, and he's not a high-effort backside run-blocker, which makes some of that offense tick. But they must be comfortable that he can handle that similar to how Joe Staley did."
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