San Francisco 49ers enjoy extra first-rounder in 7-round 2020 mock draft

The big issue on the offensive line for the 49ers in recent years can really be boiled down to the health of Joe Staley. He’s been a stalwart and effective when on the field but his health has declined in recent years. San Francisco needs to think about a replacement they can develop.

Alex Taylor is not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. He’s a converted basketball player who still has much to learn in regards to his technique while also needing to add functional strength to go with his height and length. Sitting behind Staley for at least a year, however, will give him time to develop and could pay huge dividends for the Niners.

Fred Warner and Kwon Alexander, when on the field together, have plenty of juice at linebacker and provide the 49ers with a nice corps. In terms of overall depth and, frankly, versatility in the front seven though, San Fran could use a player like Mykal Walker out of Fresno State. He played on the edge and as an inside linebacker in college and has intriguing athletic tools to possibly move all over the field in sub-packages while being a huge special teams asset.

Though I mentioned that San Francisco has plenty of bodies at wide receiver and added Peoples-Jones in Round 2, they could still use some more depth as some players like Richie James and for sure Dante Pettis have left a lot to be desired up to this point.

James Proche isn’t going to wow anyone with size or athleticism. But the SMU product was exceptionally productive in college and it was no accident. He has a ton of nuance in his route-running and a great feel for the game and how to get open. His IQ just seems like something Shanahan could use a great deal and really thrive with.