With The First Pick
Fansided

San Francisco 49ers: 5 potential Joe Staley successors in 2020 NFL Draft

By Nicholas McGee

IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs #74 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates with teammates after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs #74 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates with teammates after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 5
Next

Joe Staley is signed through 2021 but the 49ers will eventually have to find his replacement, and there are numerous candidates in the 2020 class.

Joe Staley is poised to finish his career as a San Francisco 49er having signed a two-year contract extension through 2021.

The deal means Staley will play his entire career with just one franchise and allows San Francisco the luxury of being confident in the men manning both tackle spots on their offensive line for the next couple of years.

However, sooner or later the Niners will have to start thinking about Staley’s replacement, whether that would mean bringing somebody in to replace him at left tackle or drafting a right tackle to allow Mike McGlinchey to move across.

Staley was credited as somebody Jonah Williams, the first tackle off the board in this year’s draft, watched film on as he honed his craft, per The New York Post, and the 49ers – having seen the impact the veteran has had on 2018 first-round pick McGlinchey – would be wise to bring in his replacement while Staley is still in the building to give him the chance to help groom his successor.

Any rookie offensive lineman coming into the league would struggle to find a better mentor than Staley, and here we look at five potential members of the 2020 class who the 49ers could add to the mix to sit behind Staley before he calls it a career.

TEMPE, AZ – OCTOBER 18: Walker Little #72 of the Stanford Cardinal blocks for K.J. Costello #3 against George Lea #45 of the Arizona State Sun Devils in the third quarter of the game at Sun Devil Stadium on October 18, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. Stanford won 20-13. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ – OCTOBER 18: Walker Little #72 of the Stanford Cardinal blocks for K.J. Costello #3 against George Lea #45 of the Arizona State Sun Devils in the third quarter of the game at Sun Devil Stadium on October 18, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. Stanford won 20-13. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Walker Little – Stanford

The 49ers’ long-term answer at the left tackle position could be just a few miles down the road. Having parted with Trent Brown in 2018, San Francisco may be reticent to select a tackle of a similar build at 6’7″ and 313 pounds, but Little’s combination of his size and his movement skills make him extremely intriguing.

If he can take the necessary mental strides Little has the potential to be a dominant force at the position and in that regard Staley would be the ideal tutor to help him reach his ceiling.