ESPN: Mel Kiper Jr., the 49ers will draft a player with ties to the McCaffrey family

ESPN released a 2-round mock, and the 49ers “reached” in each round

We explored why the San Francisco 49ers need to increase competition at right tackle in the NFL Draft. Many draft experts predict that the Niners will select one of the top offensive lineman with the 31st choice.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. was no exception in his mock draft issued on Wednesday. It is a new name with ties to the McCaffrey family.

31. San Francisco 49ers

Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington

I’m going to stick with my projection from Mock Draft 3.0, as Rosengarten could challenge Colton McKivitz for snaps at right tackle. Rosengarten didn’t allow any sacks in his 1,158 pass-blocking snaps for the Huskies. He also has some familiarity with one of San Francisco’s stars, as Christian McCaffrey’s dad, Ed, was his high school coach for two seasons at Valor Christian in Colorado.

Washington’s offense was stacked with NFL talent. Their quarterback, three wide receivers, and both offensive tackles will be selected in the first three rounds this month.

The draft community would see this as a stretch. Most draft guidelines rate Rosengarten as closer to 90 than 30 overall.

Rosengarten is a good athlete who has the quickness to cut off linemen and plays well inside out in pass protection. However, his hand size, arm length, wingspan, and weight all fall in the 30th percentile or lower. In terms of strength, Rosengarten is the polar opposite of Mike McGlinchey, as he struggles to get movement in the running game or latch on and sustain blocks.

He is a four-year sophomore, so he has room to improve his game and get stronger. This selection would be the 49ers telling us that they believe there is a significant drop-off at the tackle position, and they are not certain that another lineman will fall to them in the next round that is starting caliber.

Kiper Jr. also made a selection in the second round with pick No. 63 for the Niners:

63. San Francisco 49ers

Dru Phillips, CB, Kentucky

I thought about defensive line for the 49ers, but Phillips could add immediate depth to a secondary that needs a talent infusion. He allowed just a single touchdown catch as the nearest defender in coverage over the past two seasons. He has intriguing physical traits, but he’s a little raw as a cover corner.

The Baltimore Ravens drafted Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe at number 62, while the Kansas City Chiefs selected BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia at 64. So, two players wedged between Phillips who are a round or two ahead of Rosengarten. That would be difficult to accept, especially given the companies both candidates attended and how effective they are at cultivating talent.

Phillips is undersized by any standard, struggles to tackle in the open field, and requires assistance guarding larger wideouts. He is a prospect who will most likely slip to the fourth round. Both of these selections would be considered reaches, and I’m not sure which suits what the Niners are going for at their particular spots.