Breaking: The 49ers’ Top 2024 NFL Draft Target Unfolds…

It’s evident that Pick didn’t go as planned. The Niners have built such a strong roster that it hasn’t really mattered that they lost several first-round picks in the trade. They are still among the league’s top teams.

To overcome the hump and win the championship in 2024, though, they may need to secure their first-round pick.

If they hold onto the 31st choice, they will have the chance to add a player who could fill a need and make a difference.

That need is probably on the offensive line, as we’ll see when we examine their possible targets. The good news is that San Francisco has a terrific chance to add a reliable prospect because this is a reasonably deep class along the trenches.

Here are some of their top targets that may be available at No. 31 for your consideration. It’s no secret that the Niners’ offensive line needs support. Although Kyle Shanahan excels at structuring his scheme to mitigate the shortcomings of his offensive line, the group was nonetheless unreliable.

They placed 20th overall in ESPN’s pass block win rate and 23rd overall in run block win rate. Right tackle Colton McKivitz was particularly worrisome. He replaced Mike McGlinchey and surrendered nine sacks in the course of the season.

In order to avoid being locked in, the Niners offered him a one-year contract extension. It does, however, lessen the urgency of drafting a tackle.

They might try to select a successor for Aaron Banks in the draft instead. Jordan Morgan of Arizona might be a possibility. The 39th player overall on our big board, the 6’5″, 311-pound blocker, has the muscle and physicality the Niners need to maximize their run attack.

Although our rankings have him labeled as an interior offensive lineman, there’s a potential he could someday return to the tackle position. He made all 37 of his college starts there.

Scout Brandon Thorn of B/R didn’t completely rule out the idea in the appropriate plan:

“His questionable range and middling redirect skills will be difficult to overcome on an island against NFL edge-rushers, but he could make it work inside a run-first, play-action-based scheme that limits those exposures.”

That sums up the Niners’ goals and objectives rather well. Morgan would make sense because, as a guard, he can contribute right away and might be viewed as McKivitz’s replacement by 2025.

OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

Kingsley Suamataia will be taken into consideration if the Niners are aiming to select a more pure tackle prospect at the end of the first round.

At BYU, the former 5-star prospect has demonstrated his potential. With his 34¼” arms and 6’5″ weight, the 326-pound prospect is quite tall and powerful for a run blocker.

Suamataia seems like the type of tackle prospect who would be selected in the middle of the first round in a typical draft. By the time his rookie contract expires, he will have only been 21 at the start of his first year, making him just over 25.

Suamataia’s ability to play both the left and right sides of the line at BYU is an additional advantage of selecting him in the first round. Suamataia could compete with right tackle Colton McKivitz for the Niners, but he could also be a potential replacement for Trent Williams, who is probably not going to be able to play football for much longer.

Suamataia’s advanced age allays the worries. Suamataia has a “loose, reckless element to his approach,” has to improve his processing abilities, and his hand placement is inconsistent, according to B/R scout Brandon Thorn. All of those things could be taken care of and resolved with more experience and excellent coaching.

Suamataia may have been among the top picks in 2025 if he had continued his education and resolved those issues.

Alternatively, he might prove to be a tremendous asset for a contender such as the Niners.