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There’s a basic idea that, when you draft your franchise quarterback, you should make damn sure you can protect him. And that is very clearly what the 49ers are thinking. With their first non-quarterback pick, they took a bulldozing guard out of Notre Dame in Aaron Banks.
Then they added a running back in Trey Sermon, which is as much a response to injuries the team had in the backfield last year as it is a reaffirmation of the desire for a strong running game, and to take the burden off and to complement that rookie quarterback. And finally, to round out the third, they added a much needed corner, where they had no real depth, in Michigan’s Ambry Thomas.
With their first selection in the fifth round, at number 155 overall, they took Western Michigan’s Jaylon Moore. Moore’s only offer out of high school was to Western Michigan, where he went from tight end to defensive end and finally to tackle.
What shows up on Moore’s tape is a very solid foundation; he almost never loses ground in pass sets, and has a quick first step off the line, and ran a zone scheme at Western Michigan. He’s a staunch presence who could project as much at tackle as he could at guard.
This is an evident philosophical choice, and follows what the Kansas City Chiefs have done; find as much depth as possible on the offensive line, and don’t worry too much about where everyone fits in. Just make sure your quarterback is protected, and you improve your running game.