Once again, we revisit the tackle position.
The 49ers tackle position is not the weakest in the league but it's certainly far from being in the upper echelon. Anthony Davis is very young and Joe Staley hasn't proved to be anything more than average up to this point. Davis has some decent potential but has struggled with more than what you would call "rookie mistakes".
In evaluating talent, I believe that Jim Harbaugh will look deeply at each position which includes every offensive line position.
In look at talent, I am sure he is scanning potential free agents across the league on top of the rookie class. If there is a way to upgrade, I have a hard time seeing him and Trent Baalke passing the opportunity up.
This years rookie class of tackles is not as good as years past but there are some options. Whether they're an upgrade to the roster or not is uncertain. Some of the guys coming out this year do some things well. However, every single tackle in the draft this years draft has an exploitable flaw. Of course, hard work and dedication can overcome most obstacles.
With that, I give you Tyron Smith, a player whose stock has climbed significantly since the NFL Combine. this year.
It's just a very small sample size but it displays what Tyron Smith is good at and what he struggles with. In the very first snap, it shows a very nice cut block on a goaline run. The second play is a pass play that you can't get a good read on. It seems like he flashes in the picture running up field to make a block but it's a bit blurry. And the third play he makes a very clean block to free running back Stan Havili to run free in the open field. Finally on the last play, he shows good lateral movement and that he slides well in pass protection. There weren't any flaws on the feed here, but Smith does lack size and tends to get outdone sometimes when larger defensive linemen bull rush him.
NO STATS AVAILABLE
Summary: It's hard to say at this point what kind of NFL player Smith will be once he gets there. He is very athletic as a offensive tackle. Much like Joe Staley, Smith spent time in high school and his freshman year playing tight end. At the time, the former head coach Pete Carroll thought he'd be a better fit at tackle and made the conversion. There is no doubt that someone will spend a high pick on Smith.
PREDICTION: 1st - 2nd Round