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As the San Francisco 49ers aim to address the Deebo Samuel rift, there’s one other area they’ll have to direct their attention to: Next week’s opportunity to add more trench talent.
An already loaded defensive line — which recently added Hassan Ridgeway, Kemoko Turay and re-added Kerry Hyder during this free agency cycle — is still the subject of needing help come Friday, April 29, when the 49ers can make their first draft selection at No. 61 of the second round (barring trades).
Draft experts have the 49ers adding help for Nick Bosa on the opposite side by selecting an edge rusher. Ridgeway is penciled in to fill the role of D.J. Jones. However, the ‘Niners appear to have one more area they can potentially fill: The three-technique spot.
And that’s where a nearby fast-rising option comes into play, per his conversation with Heavy.
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Local Prospect Would Love to Return to ‘Regular Spot’
The 49ers have a potential option who is 20 minutes west of Levi’s Stadium: Thomas Booker from Stanford.
The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder has witnessed an ascension on the eve of the draft with scouts and teams praising his versatility and watching the 40-yard dash time be blazed at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
Booker also cemented his case as an ascending lineman with a strong Shrine Bowl. Eric Galko, director of football operations and player personnel for the game, believes that Booker is a day two (second or third round) prospect and can immediately fit any defense with his versatility.
Booker not only has shown his stout interior play by sliding inside, but shows he can be impactful as a “wide” defender over offensive tackles. He tells Heavy that he believes his knack for attacking at any defensive line spot makes him perfect for the Bay Area NFL team.
“I think that would be a fantastic fit. I love the way they play defense,” Booker told Heavy.
He believes he’s the three-technique the 49ers are searching for, which places him at what he believes is his “regular spot.”
“At Stanford, we mixed it up between being a 4-3 and 3-4 and I really like the aspect of being an attacking three-technique defender,” Booker said. “You’re pulling your ears back every single play and trying to disrupt getting into the backfield. So I would love to be back at my regular spot in San Francisco.”
Booker Was Around NFL Personalities During Palo Alto Tenure
Booker could use this as leverage on getting selected by the 49ers: Certain Stanford connections.
The franchise already has a Stanford alum in general manager and Cardinal legend John Lynch. But there’s another key linking Booker has with Lynch.
“I played with John Lynch’s son Jake. We’re both from the same class at Stanford,” Booker said. “I definitely have some familiarity with that family. They’re fantastic people.”
Booker didn’t just prepare for the NFL by wearing many defensive lineman hats in Palo Alto. He also went against some high draft picks: One a past teammate in 2021 second rounder Walker Little and the seventh overall pick from a year ago in Penei Sewell from Oregon. Booker revealed what he learned in facing linemen like both.
“When you study offensive linemen, a lot of them have ‘tells.’ It’s because of some kind of athletic deficiency they have,” Booker explained. “If they’re going to try to cut you off, they’ll lean inside. Or if they want to pass set really quickly out, they’ll lean back and take weight off their fingers. But guys like Walker Little and Penei Sewell, who are athletically gifted, will give you as many tells. And in football, when you don’t give many tells out, it makes whoever you’re playing against much slower because they have more possibilities of things that you can do to them. So those two guys come to mind, for sure.”
Booker completes four seasons near the 49ers. He now sees himself as a fit with their deep trench rotation.
“I think a lot of teams really like my scheme versatility. At Stanford, I lined up everywhere from zero technique to nose in our nickel fronts to the five technique on some of our pass rush downs and some of our run downs as well. So I think they like the fact that I’ve got a lot of tape playing those types of positions,” Booker said. “It’s like being able to have one person do two jobs. I think a lot of teams like that versatility.”
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