Everyone knows the 49ers are looking for an offensive tackle in the draft. But what do they do if all the top ones are gone when the 13th pick rolls around? I spoke to NFL Draft Scout's Rob Rang about this Saturday. He said he thought the top three tackles - widely viewed as Oklahoma State's Russell Okung, Iowa's Bryan Bulaga and Oklahoma's Trent Williams - would be gone by pick No. 13. But he thought the fourth tackle still would be there.
The questions, however, are who that fourth tackle is and whether he's worth a mid first-round pick. Rutgers' Anthony Davis was believed to be in the mix. But he's done nothing to ease concerns about his work ethic and attitude over the last month, and Rang notes that his stock is dropping. There is no concern, meanwhile, about how much time Maryland's Bruce Campbell spends in the weight room. He has a body out of Greek mythology and put up incredible numbers at the combine. The issue with Campbell is that his on-field performances weren't nearly as impressive as his physique. In other words, if these two guys are available when the 49ers pick, there is a good reason why they are available.
For the sake of argument, let's say the 49ers pass on a tackle (and Mike Iupati) with both their first-round picks. Will there be any good ones available in the second? I asked Rang that question, and these are the names he gave me:
Rodger Saffold, Indiana. Saffold's stock is on the rise. In fact, Rang is projecting him to go in the late first or early second round. Still, if the teams that coveted tackles pick them up in the first round, there's a possibility that Saffold drops to the middle of the second. Unlike most analysts, Rang thinks that Saffold is talented enough to play on the right or left side.
Vladamir Ducasse, UMass. At 6-4, 332 pounds, Ducasse has plenty of upside. But he's raw and hasn't played against a high level of competition. The question with him would be whether Mike Solari could whip him into a starter quickly enough to be a factor in 2010.
Ciron Black, LSU. If the 49ers are looking for a big body, Black fits the bill. He's 6-4, 327 pounds. "He's big, physical and reliable," Rang says. "He's never missed a game." Black is a right tackle only on the NFL level and many evaluators think he'd be better at guard.
John Jerry, Ole Miss. Jerry was so good at guard during the Senior Bowl that coaches wanted to see him at tackle. No one is eying Jerry as a left tackle, but some teams thought he handled himself well enough to play on the right side. "I think John Jerry would be a great fit for them personally," Rang said of the 49ers. "Just the way he fires off the line."
Jared Veldheer, Hilldale. He played at never-heard-of-it Hillsdale College, but Veldheer's 6-8, 312 pounds frame warrants big-time attention. Veldheer handled himself well in the Texas vs. the Nation game and then put up very impressive numbers at the combine. Like Ducasse, however, Veldheer is raw. If the 49ers want to plug a player in immediately at right tackle, Veldheer might not be the right pick.
In the last five years, 12 offensive tackles have been taken in the second round and most of them started the majority of the games their rookie seasons. The 49ers have the 13th pick in the second round (45th overall)
2005:
Michael Roos (41) 16 starts
Khlaif Barnes (52) 12
Adam Terry (64) 0
2006:
Winston Justice (39) 0
Marcus McNeill (50) 16
Andrew Whitworth (55) 12
Jeremy Trueblood (59) 13
2007:
Tony Ugoh (42) 11
2009:
Eben Britton (39) 15
Phil Loadholt (54) 15
Sebastian Vollmer (58) 8
William Beatty (60) 4
-- Matt Barrows
