What would a perfect third round of the 2023 NFL draft look like for the San Francisco 49ers?
Well, in the opinion of Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, it would include John Lynch addressing slot cornerback with one of the more unique prospects in the draft, TCU slot cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, and a pair of offensive linemen in Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan and USC guard Andrew Vorhees.
With only one pick in the top 100, Monson believes that these three players provide a unique blend of high-upside and Year 1 utility.
“Adding interior offensive linemen would be a solid move for the 49ers, as would be snagging a developmental tackle such as BYU’s Blake Freeland, but they could also use secondary help with some changes over the offseason,” Monson wrote.
“Hodges-Tomlinson would give them an option to man the slot immediately, or they could look more to the boundary for cornerback help if they think somebody like Samuel Womack can be their slot corner going forward. Duncan is another option with elite potential but without the tape to back it up yet, and he would be an interesting player to develop from the bench. The 49ers might also see value in grabbing a player like Vorhees, who tore his ACL at the NFL combine and then put up 38 bench press reps with his knee in a brace.”
After surrendering their first, second, and third-round picks in the 2023 NFL draft in the Trey Lance and Christian McCaffrey trades, the 49ers aren’t exactly flush with premium picks from which Day 1 starters and blue chip prospects are usually selected. Still, the players Monson noted do a very interesting job of addressing the present and future of the 49ers, all the while adding three potential long-term contributors.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson Has Long-Term Slot CB Potential
Of all of the players in the 2023 NFL draft, Hodges-Tomlinson might just be the man most routinely linked to the 49ers. An aggressive slot cornerback who appeared in 49 games over his four-year career at TCU, Hodges-Tomlinson, called THT for short, recorded five interceptions, defended 36 passes, and even scored a touchdown in 2021 against Texas Tech.
“THT is one of the shortest cornerbacks you’ll ever see, measuring in at 5-foot-7 6/8 and 178 pounds. You wouldn’t know it by the way he plays football, though,” Pro Football Focus wrote in THT’s draft profile. “He broke up 28 passes the past three seasons and picked off five more.”
Graded the 59th-best prospect in the 2023 NFL draft on Mike Renner of PFF’s big board, Hodges may not be a perfect fit in every defense across the NFL but could excel in a zone-heavy scheme, which the 49ers relied on extensively under former defensive coordinator Demeco Ryan.
“Defenses that specialize in soft zone coverage have to be intrigued by Hodges-Tomlinson’s ability to make plays working downhill,” PFF noted before handing him a Day 2 draft grade.
The 49ers Could Add Competition at Tackle
With the second pick in his hypothetical 49ers draft, Monson decided to add some competition to the tackle position in the form of Duncan, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound tackle who started 39 of the Terps’ 42 games over the past four seasons.
“Duncan has some of the best balance in the draft class with easy mirroring ability on the edge,” Pro Football Focus wrote in Duncan’s draft profile. “He just needs his hands to do more work for him, as he allowed 28 pressures this past fall.”
Now, for fans who have been keeping up with 49ers’ pre-draft mock drafts, the idea of adding a developmental tackle in the third round is a very popular idea, as Chad Reuter of NFL.com chose Colton McKivitz with competition at right tackle via BYU’s Blake Freeland. In Duncan, the 49ers could add a big collegiate left tackle with extensive starting experience who ranked as the 123rd overall prospect on PFF’s big board.
Andrew Vorhees Could Provide Crucial Interior Depth for 49ers
With a zone-friendly defensive back in place and a tackle capable of competing with McKivitz at tackle added to the fray, Monson decided to address the interior of the 49ers’ offensive line with an injured-yet-high upside swingman guard by the name of Andrew Vorhees. Though he tore his ACL at the 2023 NFL draft combine, the versatility Vorhees showed at USC, starting games at right guard, left guard, and left tackle, should keep the 6-foot-6 325 Californian in contention for a late Day 2 selection.
“Vorhees was one of the highest-graded offensive linemen in the country over the past two seasons,” Pro Football Focus wrote in Vorhees’ draft profile. “He started at USC for six seasons but, unfortunately, tore his ACL at the combine and is likely to miss his entire rookie season.”
Though there isn’t an obvious landing spot for Vorhees on the 49ers’ depth chart in 2023 or even 2024 – assuming McKivitz or a player like Duncan wins the right tackle spot – the 49ers did lose Daniel Brunskill to the Tennessee Titans in free agency and could use a new utility offensive lineman to take his place. When Vorhees is healthy enough to take the field, he would be a natural in that role.
“Vorhees is likely a starter at the next level but is just going to be physically limited,” PFF noted before naming Vorhees the 115th-ranked prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
Comments
Analyst Names 3 ‘Perfect Scenarios’ for the 49ers Early in the NFL Draft