Meet a 49ers rookie: Colton McKivitz adds versatility to O-line
Look up Colton McKivitz’s draft profile on the NFL’s website and one line stands out.
“Bonafide dirt dog with chippy demeanor,” draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote.
It’s unclear exactly what a “dirt dog” is, but one can imagine it describes a tough, physical and fearless player. Apparently that’s what the 49ers are adding to their offensive line with the West Virginia alum they found in the fifth round of the NFL draft. They used the pick to take McKivitz acquired from the Miami Dolphins in the trade for running back Matt Breida.
Crossing the country to the Bay Area came as a surprise to McKivitz, who said he didn’t have much contact with the 49ers before the draft.
“I had no idea actually,” he said.
McKivitz, 23, has similarities to an offensive lineman the 49ers found late in last year’s draft who contributed as a rookie, Justin Skule.
McKivitz, like Skule, was a four-year starter at tackle in college. He was named a second-team All-American following his senior season. He was an all-academic conference player as a redshirt freshman in 2016. He started 33 games at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and one at right guard. He worked at guard at the Senior Bowl.
Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated McKivitz (6-6, 301) was on the team’s radar as a possible replacement for Joe Staley once the team learned Staley was going to retire the week of the draft. Shanahan said the team was considering McKivitz in the fourth round after it acquired a pick by trading down a spot from 13 to 14 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before drafting defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw.
But then the 49ers traded away that fourth-round pick in the package to move up six spots in Round 1 for receiver Brandon Aiyuk. And on Day 3, the team found a Pro Bowl replacement for Staley by trading a 2020 fifth-round pick and 2021 third-round choice for Washington star Trent Williams.
“Then we did end up getting Trent and to still be able to get him (McKivitz) in the fifth round was a hell of a deal,” Shanahan said. “We felt really excited about how today went.”
McKivitz joins a deep group along the offensive line. He could compete to start at right guard vacated by the release of veteran Mike Person in March. Also in the mix would be Daniel Brunskill, Ben Garland and free-agent addition Tom Compton.
At tackle, McKivitz would compete with Shon Coleman, Skule and Brunskill to back up Williams and Mike McGlinchey.
“The cool thing about the McKivitz, we feel like he’s got some ability to play tackle but also has some ability to slide down and play some guard,” general manager John Lynch said. “He’s a guy, during the process, the more we watched, the more you like. We just felt at that point, that was a good move for us to make.”
