One common critique of the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2025 draft class is that they addressed the offensive line only once with their 11 selections. And that OL pick didn’t come until Round 7.
Now the 49ers may need to add additional OL help through the free agent market. With the draft over, free agency may have an additional wave with players no longer factoring in to the compensatory pick formula.
General manager John Lynch on Saturday after the draft didn’t commit to additional signings, but he didn’t rule it out.
“After the Draft, they don’t affect (comp picks), so we’ll see,” Lynch said. “We’re always looking to improve our team. I think it’s a good point for players that are free agents to assess, ‘Okay, here’s a team that, look at what they did in drafts.’ And then also for teams to look back and say, ‘Okay, we took our full complement of 11 players. Where do we still have a need to, or a want to get a little better or to change your roster up a little? So, we’ll see here in the next week.”
The 49ers could at the very least use some upgraded depth, especially at offensive tackle after reliable reserve Jaylon Moore signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. At this point of the offseason it’s unlikely San Francisco will find upgrades to its starting offensive line via the free agent pool, but there are a handful of names to they could bring in for depth purposes:
OL Daniel Brunskill
Bringing back a familiar face would make a lot of sense for a 49ers club that could use a versatile depth piece. They should be hoping to avoid a scenario where Brunskill is a regular starter, but his ability to play all the interior OL positions and fill in at right tackle in a pinch could make him a valuable player for San Francisco as they look to bolster their depth.
OT Germain Ifedi
Ifedi has been in the NFL for nine years and has never really lived up to being a first-round pick. If the 49ers are looking for an experienced veteran to come in and compete for the swing tackle job, Ifedi checks those boxes. He’s 6-5, 338 pounds and he’s played more than 6,300 snaps as a pro. Last season he wound up starting eight games at left tackle for the Cleveland Browns, but he also sprinkled in a couple of appearances on the right side. Ifedi wouldn’t contend to be an upgrade over Colton McKivitz, but he’d certainly be in the mix at swing tackle.
OT Jedrick Wills
This is another former first-round pick who hasn’t lived up to the hype. Wills was the No. 10 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 draft. The Alabama product started 15 games as a rookie and actually put together his best season as a pro. It was downhill for his next four seasons with the Browns. If the 49ers are looking to add competition for the backup tackle spot, betting on a former 10th overall pick would make a lot of sense.
OL Mark Glowinski
Glowinski turns 33 in May and he’s entering his 11th NFL season. He’d provide some depth on the interior the way recently-retired Jon Feliciano did. He has a ton of experience as a pro, and he’s played left tackle and both guard spots. That’s a nice level of versatility that could make Glowinski a quality late-offseason add for the 49ers.
OT Chris Hubbard
Speaking of familiar faces − Hubbard is a name real sicko 49ers fans will remember from last offseason. He competed for a reserve tackle spot and wound up getting cut. The 49ers added him to their practice squad, but he barely lasted a month there before the New York Giants picked him up. He started three games at left tackle for the Giants. Perhaps last season was all San Francisco needed to see from Hubbard. With the roles changing some on the OL, however, it may be time to bring the 11-year veteran with 102 games of experience back.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: X free agent OL 49ers could sign after picking only 1 in NFL draft
One common critique of the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2025 draft class is that they addressed the offensive line only once with their 11 selections. And that OL pick didn’t come until Round 7.
Now the 49ers may need to add additional OL help through the free agent market. With the draft over, free agency may have an additional wave with players no longer factoring in to the compensatory pick formula.
General manager John Lynch on Saturday after the draft didn’t commit to additional signings, but he didn’t rule it out.
“After the Draft, they don’t affect (comp picks), so we’ll see,” Lynch said. “We’re always looking to improve our team. I think it’s a good point for players that are free agents to assess, ‘Okay, here’s a team that, look at what they did in drafts.’ And then also for teams to look back and say, ‘Okay, we took our full complement of 11 players. Where do we still have a need to, or a want to get a little better or to change your roster up a little? So, we’ll see here in the next week.”
The 49ers could at the very least use some upgraded depth, especially at offensive tackle after reliable reserve Jaylon Moore signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. At this point of the offseason it’s unlikely San Francisco will find upgrades to its starting offensive line via the free agent pool, but there are a handful of names to they could bring in for depth purposes:
OL Daniel Brunskill
Bringing back a familiar face would make a lot of sense for a 49ers club that could use a versatile depth piece. They should be hoping to avoid a scenario where Brunskill is a regular starter, but his ability to play all the interior OL positions and fill in at right tackle in a pinch could make him a valuable player for San Francisco as they look to bolster their depth.
OT Germain Ifedi
Ifedi has been in the NFL for nine years and has never really lived up to being a first-round pick. If the 49ers are looking for an experienced veteran to come in and compete for the swing tackle job, Ifedi checks those boxes. He’s 6-5, 338 pounds and he’s played more than 6,300 snaps as a pro. Last season he wound up starting eight games at left tackle for the Cleveland Browns, but he also sprinkled in a couple of appearances on the right side. Ifedi wouldn’t contend to be an upgrade over Colton McKivitz, but he’d certainly be in the mix at swing tackle.
OT Jedrick Wills
This is another former first-round pick who hasn’t lived up to the hype. Wills was the No. 10 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 draft. The Alabama product started 15 games as a rookie and actually put together his best season as a pro. It was downhill for his next four seasons with the Browns. If the 49ers are looking to add competition for the backup tackle spot, betting on a former 10th overall pick would make a lot of sense.
OL Mark Glowinski
Glowinski turns 33 in May and he’s entering his 11th NFL season. He’d provide some depth on the interior the way recently-retired Jon Feliciano did. He has a ton of experience as a pro, and he’s played left tackle and both guard spots. That’s a nice level of versatility that could make Glowinski a quality late-offseason add for the 49ers.
OT Chris Hubbard
Speaking of familiar faces − Hubbard is a name real sicko 49ers fans will remember from last offseason. He competed for a reserve tackle spot and wound up getting cut. The 49ers added him to their practice squad, but he barely lasted a month there before the New York Giants picked him up. He started three games at left tackle for the Giants. Perhaps last season was all San Francisco needed to see from Hubbard. With the roles changing some on the OL, however, it may be time to bring the 11-year veteran with 102 games of experience back.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: X free agent OL 49ers could sign after picking only 1 in NFL draft
