The San Francisco 49ers have some weak points along the offensive line. It's tough to dispute that. Three of the team's starters—Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz, and Aaron Banks—received overall Pro Football Focus grades under 70.0. Clearly, this is an area that could use improvement during the offseason.
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah proposes just that in his latest mock draft, predicting the 49ers will select offensive lineman Graham Barton out of Duke with the No. 31 overall pick.
"A left tackle at Duke, Barton would slide inside to guard and has the athleticism to do all that is required in Kyle Shanahan's scheme," Jeremiah wrote.
Barton is the last of 10 offensive linemen Jeremiah projects to be drafted in the first round. In 2022, the Duke prospect achieved career-high grades in overall (88.2), run-blocking (86.9), and pass-blocking (85.1) from Pro Football Focus.
During the 2023 season, the 6-foot-5, 314-pound offensive lineman allowed 11 pressures, nine hurries, and two sacks in 258 pass-blocking snaps, earning a 75.9 overall grade, 71.2 run-blocking grade, and 78.2 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus while missing three games with injuries.
Barton earned All-ACC First Team honors twice (in 2022 and 2023), appearing in 40 games throughout his collegiate career.
The NFL Draft is set to take place in Detroit, Michigan, kicking off on April 25th.
It wouldn't be surprising to see the San Francisco 49ers use their first-round pick—No. 11 overall—to address their struggling pass rush. Many expect the team to focus on the trenches, targeting either an offensive or defensive lineman with their top selection.
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