Daniel Jeremiah Projects the 49ers to Draft a Guard in Round 1
The 49ers have needs all over their offensive line.
They need an offensive tackle who can be an upgrade over Colton McKivitz and eventually replace Trent Williams when he gets injured or retires. They need a center who's an upgrade over Jake Brendel. And they need a left guard to replace Aaron Banks who will be a free agent when the new league year starts on March 12.
With pick no. 11 in the upcoming draft, The NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah projects the 49ers to address the guard position by taking Missouri's Armand Membou.
"Membou is the most technically sound offensive lineman in this class," writes Jeremiah. "He reminds me of Aljah Vera-Tucker when he entered the league. Membou will be an exceptional guard who can also play tackle if needed."
Membou is an intriguing pick because he might be the best player available and he fills a position of need. If he develops into a Pro Bowl guard, the 49ers won't regret taking him with the 11th pick in Round 1. He and Dominick Puni would form one of the best guard duos in the NFL.
I just don't expect Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch to spend a top-15 pick on an interior offensive lineman no matter how talented and technically sound he is. The 49ers offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, said just a few months ago that the 49ers would rather invest in players who score touchdowns than offensive linemen. So I expect the 49ers to take a defensive player in Round 1 and a guard later in the draft, perhaps in Round 3, which is where they picked Puni last year.