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The San Francisco 49ers experienced the good and the bad of the NFL draft during the Kyle Shanahan era.
Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa, Mike McGlinchey, Deebo Samuel and Brock Purdy are among the players selected over the last few years.
But for every superstar case, there is a cautionary tale, like the Trey Lance pick in 2021.
San Francisco needs to avoid another Lance-type bust in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
The 49ers will not have a bust of that proportion in a long time because of the stature of the No. 3 pick, but all the prospects they evaluate must check every box.
Even one flaw could put a player on the 49ers’ must-avoid list.
Kingsley Suamataia could be a prospect the 49ers consider with the No. 31 pick.
The assumption across most mock drafts is the 49ers will go after help on the offensive interior in the first round.
Duke’s Graham Barton and Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton each carry more experience and project to be better than Suamataia at least right away.
Pro Football Focus went into detail on the limitations the BYU product has right now.
“While he is a dream athlete for a tackle, his inexperience leaves his technique raw and inconsistent.
His hand placement and timing are a work in progress, and he can sometimes be more of a shover than a true blocker.”
The 49ers can’t afford to have a project player join their offensive line while in the hunt for the Super Bowl.
Suamataia may turn out to be a great offensive lineman, but he is not the fine-tuned prospect the 49ers need right now.