With the San Francisco 49ers in the midst of the offseason, the team will use this time to bolster their team, whether it be through trades or free agency. Also, the 49ers will prepare for the NFL Draft, as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft had the team address a position needed for the future.
While San Francisco has Hall of Fame-level star Trent Williams, the team could be in search of its offensive tackle of the future, with Kiper addressing it. With the 27th overall pick, Kiper has the 49ers taking Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, saying that his “tape is all over the place,” but talked about developing him into taking the role of Williams in the future.
“The highs are really, really good,” Kiper wrote. “The lows raise a lot of questions. But in the right situation, he could become a standout tackle in the NFL. And there might not be a better situation than learning behind one of the best to ever do it in San Francisco. Trent Williams will be 38 by Week 1, and he's entering the final year of his contract.”
“So, Proctor could develop in Year 1 while kicking inside to guard and/or playing a swing tackle role before perhaps taking over for Williams in 2027,” Kiper continued. “He has 40 career starts — all at left tackle — and is reliable in pass protection. This would be an upside pick for GM John Lynch.”
Williams will be 38 years old by the time of San Francisco's next training camp, which the Proctor pick does make sense. Still, fans of the 49ers should expect Williams to stay with the team until retirement, though the star has still played at a high level.
At any rate, it remains to be seen what San Francisco does on April 23 when the first round of the NFL Draft commences.
