The 49ers almost certainly will spend their first-round pick on a player in the trenches this year.
Most people expect the 49ers to draft an offensive lineman, but their offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, has stated on the record that in general, he would prefer to wait until later rounds to address the position.
Which means the 49ers probably will draft a defensive lineman in Round 1. And The NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah thinks the best defensive tackle in the class, Michigan's Mason Graham, could fall to them.
"Where they're picking at 11, they're going to be able to get a really good player," Jeremiah said on his annual pre-Combine conference call. "I'll be curious to see how Graham goes through the spring. As I mentioned, I think his tape is so good, but I'm not sure he's going to totally ace the spring part of it. If you're looking for someone that I think would just be a home run pick for them, to me, it would be if Mason Graham were to fall down to them."
Jeremiah could be onto something. At least two quarterbacks will push Graham down the board, and a couple athletic freaks could as well after the Combine. If Graham falls to the 49ers, he would be the perfect fit to plug the run in their Wide 9 defense. He also would be a terrific interior pass rusher.
Keep an eye on Graham next week in Indianapolis.
Download and follow The Cohn Zohn Podcast.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!