Photo courtesy of the San Francisco 49ers
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Imagine arriving at an NFL facility for the first time after being drafted, and the first player you run into is big-man
Trent Williams. That might be a bit intimidating.
That's what happened to San Francisco 49ers rookie offensive lineman
Colton McKivitz when he arrived to sign his rookie contract. Williams was there too, signing his restructured deal.
"The best part of that day, Trent came up to congratulate me on being drafted by the team," McKivitz recently wrote in
a feature for 49ers.com. "All I could think about was how monster of a guy he is. You don't realize it when you see him in pictures, but man, seeing him in person is unreal."
Later, McKivitz had to step onto the practice field to block the likes of veterans
Arik Armstead and Solomon Thomas, who were probably looking to gain a confidence boost by going against a rookie.
"Looking across the ball and seeing the guys we have on defense can make you nervous," wrote McKivitz. "We have some super athletic and talented guys. ... Solomon Thomas' quickness is pretty wild too. He's got me a few times during our 1-on-1 drills. I was nervous to line up across from Arik Armstead. Man, he's impressive too."
But it wasn't just the seasoned veterans who left an impression on McKivitz. Another rookie from his draft class caught him a bit off guard.
"You look at guys like
Javon Kinlaw, he's just a monster of a human," added McKivitz.
Practicing against one of the best — if not
the best — defensive lines in football will only make McKivitz better. He has the benefit of facing some of the best the NFL has to throw at him, and the rookie has already been taking great strides during training camp.
"I've managed to hold my own in a few 1-on-1 reps," wrote McKivitz. "I'm really proud of that, but I still have a very long way to go."
McKivitz's work ethic, progress, and versatility have not gone unnoticed by the 49ers coaching staff.
"McKivitz, we moved him all over," head coach
Kyle Shanahan explained on August 22. "It's tougher for a rookie to go, but he's got a chance to compete with all these other guys. With some of these injuries that we've had so far, he's got more reps than probably usual. We're probably going to have to keep him moving around positions because he's got to be ready for everything."
McKivitz didn't have the opportunity to go through a complete offseason due to league-wide limitations amid a pandemic. That can be difficult for a rookie trying to learn an NFL playbook and adapt to the speed and strength of NFL-caliber talent.
The 49ers coaches didn't hesitate to move McKivitz around to different spots along the offensive line because he was showing to be a quick study.
"What has been cool about him, you don't always do that to the rookies and stuff because they can't always handle it," Shanahan added. "Especially without OTAs, but he ... really owned offseason Zoom meetings and all that and really owned the playbook."
Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema unveiled his latest mock draft this week and has the San Francisco 49ers addressing the offensive line. Specifically, Sikkema suggests the team seeks a potential replacement for Colton McKivitz at right tackle.
In Sikkema's projection, the Niners select former Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims with the No. 31 overall pick. The analyst views him as an ideal addition to an offensive front that was untouched in free agency—apart from ensuring continuity among last season's starters.
"Mims has one of the craziest builds you will have ever seen — in a good way
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has just released his latest mock draft, and it has the San Francisco 49ers addressing their offensive line needs. With the initial wave of free agency signings complete, analysts can better predict what teams might do in next month's rookie selection event.
Last month, ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, Kiper projected the 49ers selecting former Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson. San Francisco has recently bolstered its defensive end spot opposite Nick Bosa by signing
Leonard Floyd is eager to begin working with his new San Francisco 49ers coaches and teammates. In free agency, the team signed the former Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams pass rusher to line up opposite star defensive end Nick Bosa, providing a boost to a defensive front that was inconsistent in 2023.
Floyd matched his career-high with 10.5 sacks last season with the Bills, a statistic that would have tied with Bosa for the 49ers' team-high in 2023.
In a recent interview with team reporter Lindsey Pallares, Floyd was asked how he believes his skillset complements Bosa's.
"I believe our skill sets will complement each other well," Floyd responded. "We both been guys who've
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't have to field as many quarterback questions as he did a year ago after Brock Purdy underwent surgery, the arrival of Sam Darnold, and the uncertainty surrounding the future of Trey Lance. The quarterback situation is clearer now than it has been in recent years.
For Purdy, this offseason holds significant importance. It marks the first time he can focus on on-field improvement during minicamps, OTAs, and training camp. While he had this opportunity as a rookie in 2022, he was buried on the depth chart, limiting his practice reps.
Last year, Purdy was still recovering from surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. He didn't get to throw to his teammates until training camp in