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John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan explain why the 49ers didn’t draft a tackle or tight end
Apr 27, 2024 at 5:04 PM
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Offensive tackle was considered one of the San Francisco 49ers' primary needs entering the 2024 NFL Draft, given
Trent Williams' age and
Colton McKivitz's inconsistent play. Many felt the team might even use their first-round pick, No. 31 overall, to address the position.
Despite adding two rookie offensive linemen (Kansas G Dominick Puni and USC G Jarrett Kingston), general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan opted not to select a tackle.
RELATED 2024 NFL Draft: 49ers' eight selections and their projected rookie salaries
"We looked at numerous guys throughout the process," Lynch told reporters during their post-draft press conference. "I think when you're drafting 31st, it's oftentimes hard to find a tackle that you really love. And we like our tackles as they stand right now. We like our depth with
Jaylon Moore being a really talented guy who can play the swing role.
"We drafted Kingston, who has some flex at tackle, and we'll continue to always try to improve ourself, improve the depth of our team. But we're excited about our O-line group. I know a lot of people talk about that, but we feel pretty good about our group."
The 49ers also failed to reinforce the tight end position. Like the tackle situation, that's simply how the draft played out for the team.
"We were glad to add two O-linemen in the draft," Shanahan said. "We would've loved to add a tight end. It just didn't work out that way."
Shanahan declined to comment on the depth chart and who might serve as the primary backup to All-Pro tight end
George Kittle in the upcoming 2024 season. With the team yet to conduct offseason practices, such decisions are premature.
"They haven't been out here yet," Shanahan remarked. "We like guys to practice first."
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