Why Jeremiah thinks the 49ers should select Duke’s O-lineman at number 31
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network believes that the 49ers will target the offensive line with their No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In Jeremiah’s most recent mock draft, San Francisco picks Duke University left tackle Graham Barton in the first round, with the understanding that Barton would eventually play guard for the 49ers.
Jeremiah was questioned about his reasoning for the 49ers using their first-round pick to acquire an interior offensive lineman on a Thursday conference call with reporters. This is not something that NFL teams do very often.
The 49ers could select Barton in the first round, Jeremiah said. “He started a tonne of games. He’s played centre. I think that’s where his ultimate best position is going to be at centre. He can play anywhere. Obviously recently having played left tackle. “I don’t think that’s crazy. I would say when you look at the interior guys in this draft, there’s other options too. I have done more work since my initial top-50 list came out. “I’ll end up having [Oregon centre] Jackson Powers-Johnson over Graham Barton, but I really like Graham Barton too and I like Zach Frazier of West Virginia University. I think all three of those guys would be
“I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but they’re [49ers] [in] win now, let’s go mode, and I think these guys — those three interior guys are plug and play for me.”
Barton started his Duke career as a centre in his freshman year and switched to left tackle in his final three years of college, giving him a wealth of experience along the offensive line.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Duke product played in over 2,500 snaps during his collegiate career. With this kind of experience, Jeremiah thinks he could make an immediate impact on a 49ers team that is designed to contend.
The 49ers will have their first-round pick in the NFL Draft since selecting quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick in 2021 on April 3, 2024.
Since selecting Mike McGlinchey, a product of Notre Dame, No. 9 overall in the 2018 draft, San Francisco has not made an offensive lineman selection in the first round.
Perhaps the 49ers need a pick like Barton to retool for another chance at the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the 2024 NFL season, after problems on the interior offensive line helped San Francisco miss out on Super Bowl glory.
The 49ers now head into the next NFL season with a little more financial wiggle room than expected. The league announced Friday that the 2024 salary cap has been set at $255.4 million per team, an increase of more than $30 million — by far the highest spike of any year since the cap was introduced in 1994. At the moment, the 49ers have one of the NFL’s highest payrolls, but they’re still projected to be slightly more than $4.6 million under the cap with their current active contracts.
Many of the 21 free agents currently on their roster won’t return, but the 49ers will make a few a priority as they decide how to allocate their money. They also can convert some of their most expensive player salaries into signing bonuses in order to manipulate their cap room — something they historically have done. Here are a few players and positions that will require a very close look from the 49ers as they attempt to set their 2024 roster under the new cap: Brandon Aiyuk Aiyuk technically is under contract through 2024, but like Nick Bosa last season and Deebo Samuel the year prior, the wide receiver likely will not step foot on the 49ers’ practice field until an extension has been signed.
