49ers Give a Vote of Confidence to $4 Million Tackle After NFL Draft

Getty Colton McKivitz celebrating a play with the San Francisco 49ers teammate Jauan Jennings.

Heading into the 2023 NFL draft, one of the positions most fans and experts alike frequently mocked to the San Francisco 49ers was offensive tackle after the team lost Mike McGlinchey in free agency.

But the 49ers bypassed the line entirely, instead handing fourth-year tackle Colton McKivitz a chance to take over McGlinchey’s spot.

“We believe in Colton,” general manager John Lynch said, according to 49ers Webzone. “I think when he got here, we didn’t necessarily see [his talent] all the time, because he was shy. It kind of, it took him a little while, but I think over time, as his confidence grew, you started to see all those traits and qualities, the spirit as we call it, really start to show. And then, Colton’s sneaky talented as well and we like him a lot as a player.”

Originally scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, McKivitz signed in March a two-year, $4.61 million extension to remain with the team through 2024.

McKivitz impressed the 49ers enough before the 2020 draft that they gave him the “gold helmet,” a designation bestowed on prospects who show leadership and intelligence. San Francisco wound up drafting him in the fifth round.

“The Gold Helmet is a hard standard up there,” Lynch said. “We give it to very few people. Colton was one of those when he came out of West Virginia.”

Kyle Shanahan Believes Colton McKivitz Could Be the Next Jake Brendel

Head coach Kyle Shanahan compared McKivitz’s development to that of Jake Brendel, the veteran center who just signed a four-year, $16.5 million extension.

“Yeah, I mean just getting an O-lineman to start in this league is really tough, especially how different playing in the league is than college, and the lack of preparation we get with how OTAs are this year, how much shorter training camp is,” Shanahan said, according to Webzone. “But you can win with Colton. … When he has played, we have won games with him. He did a hell of a job last year. … I look at Colton very similar to how Jake was last year.”

Eight offensive tackles were drafted in the first 86 picks, and the 49ers didn’t have a pick until No. 99, in the third round. They wound up focusing on other positions. “It’s not easy to find a guy, at pick 99 or later that can beat out Colton McKivitz,” Shanahan said.

The 49ers Like Matt Pryor’s Depth Potential

Though the decision to sign Pryor in free agency wasn’t widely celebrated, Lynch said he believed the decision provided serious utility to the 49ers’ roster.

“Yeah, the thing I’d add, big shout out to [director of pro personnel] R.J. Gillen and his staff,” Lynch said. “You go get a guy like [OT] Matt Pryor who’s started games and played at a high-level last year. Wasn’t as good, whatever happened in Indy [Indianapolis], I think their O-line struggled as a whole. They moved him over to the left side. He didn’t play as well, but we think Matt Pryor’s a guy who’s shown he can play. So, that gives you at least whoever we draft better be able to beat him out and we didn’t see that happening.”

Shanahan agreed, asserting that while Pryor may not start for the 49ers, he had a chance to be a player for the 49ers alongside 2021 fifth-round pick Jalen Moore, which wasn’t a guarantee for a player drafted at the end of the third round or later.

“And that’s the hardest thing too. In order, not just to play,” Shanahan added. “You talk about Colton, because you know him, but Matt Pryor we brought in free agency who we liked two years ago too, and then you’ve got Jalen Moore who’s been our swing tackle for a couple years, has played in games.”