The San Francisco 49ers are frequently predicted to select an offensive lineman with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but general manager John Lynch offered some insight that may tell us otherwise.
Lynch on Monday at the annual league meeting told reporters the team doesn't view center and right tackle as spots in need of significant upgrades.
"We like our right tackle. We like our center,” Lynch said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Left guard, we have some candidates in-house right now. But will we look to add in the draft? Certainly.”
This doesn't rule out the 49ers taking an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. It does paint an interesting picture of how the team may view their offensive front.
If they truly aren't looking to find an elite starter at RT right away, they may be fine picking offensive linemen later in the draft in hoping of finding a quality starter or a backup who could develop into a starting piece for them down the line.
Without a dire need at one of the tackle spots, it's hard to envision San Francisco shelling out its top pick on the offensive front. They don't typically value guards highly enough to pick one in the top half of the first round. There's also not a center prospect worthy of that type of selection.
The caveat here is that the 49ers may be looking for a long-term replacement for left tackle Trent Williams, which could change the calculus. If a player falls to them who they think can eventually replace Williams, they'd likely make that selection and find a place for that player to play in the meantime.
On the other hand, there are a handful of prospects projected to go on Day 2 of the draft who could be Williams replacements without the pressure of playing on Day 1 as a first-round pick. The 49ers have too many needs to let a first-round pick sit out a year, but a Day 2 pick could conceivably hold down the swing tackle job and use their first season or two as a development year before stepping in as Williams' replacement once he retires.
There is undoubtedly still a path to the 49ers taking an offensive lineman in the first round, but don't be surprised if it's a need they prioritize as one they can address later in the three-day draft process.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Why 49ers may not be looking to pick OL in 1st round of 2025 NFL draft
