With The First Pick
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2020 NFL Draft: 49ers 7-round mock following heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat

By Randy Gurzi

GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 07: Lloyd Cushenberry III #79 of the LSU Tigers celebrates following a victory over the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 07: Lloyd Cushenberry III #79 of the LSU Tigers celebrates following a victory over the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 28: Center Lloyd Cushenberry III #79 of the LSU Tigers on the line of scrimmage against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 28: Center Lloyd Cushenberry III #79 of the LSU Tigers on the line of scrimmage against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Round 1, Pick 31: Lloyd Cushenberry, III, IOL, LSU

One thing that stands out about the San Francisco 49ers roster is how complete they are. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan have done a fantastic job building this roster and they’re going to head into this draft without having a massive need — but that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas they could improve.

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Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) agrees that there are very few holes on the 49ers roster, but he does think they can upgrade the interior of their offensive line. He said as much in a recent piece where he identified the top need for all 32 teams in the NFL entering the offseason.

"“The 49ers don’t have a whole lot of holes on their roster, but one of the areas that could be upgraded is the offensive line and, more specifically, the interior offensive line. Laken Tomlinson, Mike Person and Weston Richburg have all been solid if not spectacular in 2019, but they could benefit from added depth and more competition at those positions.” — Liney, Pro Football Focus"

Cushenberry plays center for LSU and would be an improvement over Weston Richburg, who also has struggled simply to stay healthy. He’s capable of playing guard but his strength and athleticism from the center position would be huge for the Niners.

He held his own in a very competitive SEC, which speaks volumes to his ability to translate to the next level. His addition would also help slow down that interior pressure which gave Jimmy Garoppolo so much trouble in the Super Bowl.

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