It's no secret that the 49ers need an offensive tackle.
Right tackle Colton McKivitz would be a backup on most teams. Left tackle Trent Williams is 36 and played in only 10 games this season. And swing tackle Jaylon Moore will be a free agent starting on March 12.
The 49ers haven't drafted an offensive tackle since they took Moore in Round 5 of the 2021 NFL Draft, so it's quite possible they'll draft one this year with their first pick.
The Athletic came out with a mock draft today, and it projects the 49ers to take Ohio State offensive tackle Joshua Simmons with pick no. 11 in Round 1.
"Like (Kelvin) Banks, Simmons is a super-athletic prospect who probably could wear a few different hats if a team asks him to," write Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. "He suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through the season, and it took Ohio State a while to figure out how to play without him. He would be a perfect fit for everything Kyle Shanahan does."
Simmons tore his ACL on Oct. 12 -- eight days before Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL. Which means Simmons most likely will miss training camp and the first few games of the season just like Aiyuk will.
So Simmons would be an extremely risky pick. He might need a red-shirt year before he's ready to start in the NFL. And the 49ers have an abysmal track record of drafting players with torn ACLs. Trent Baalks used to draft one every year and none ever panned out.
Maybe Simmons will be different. He definitely seems to be the most talented offensive tackle prospect in the draft. But the 49ers can't afford to miss in Round 1 after missing on Trey Lance and Javon Kinlaw.
I think the 49ers will address their defensive line instead.
