49ers could find long-term interior OL fix with project pick in draft

Q: What are Jager Burton's strengths as an offensive lineman for the 49ers?

Jager Burton's strengths include his versatility to play all three interior offensive line positions and his impressive athleticism, which was highlighted by being rated the most athletic center at the NFL combine.

Q: How many games did Jager Burton start during his college career?

Jager Burton started 47 games over his college career at the University of Kentucky, with 23 starts at left guard, 15 at center, and 9 at right guard.

Q: Why might the 49ers prefer a later-round pick for their offensive line needs?

The 49ers have historically used limited early-round draft capital on offensive linemen, suggesting they may find better value and depth by targeting prospects like Jager Burton in later rounds.

49ers could find long-term interior OL fix with project pick in draft

TL;DR

The San Francisco 49ers may target University of Kentucky interior OL Jager Burton in the draft as a long-term solution for their offensive line. Burton, who is versatile and athletic, has experience playing all three interior positions and was rated the most athletic center at the NFL combine.

The San Francisco 49ers haven't often had much urgency to add offensive line help in the NFL draft. They'll invest draft capital in the position, but across Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch's nine previous drafts, they've used only one first-round pick, one second-round pick and one third-round pick on the offensive line. Looking at offensive linemen projected to go later in the draft may be a better move when assessing who the 49ers might take at that position, which is why University of Kentucky interior OL Jager Burton would make a ton of sense for them.

Burton was paired with San Francisco in a piece by Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo that highlighted developmental prospects each team could take.

Given the 49ers' penchant for favoring versatility up front and their need to develop some depth along the interior of their offensive line, Burton's ability to play all three interior OL spots could be appealing for a team with no real long-term answers at left guard or center.

Burton has very good size at 6-4, 312 pounds and he flashed good athleticism at the NFL combine. NFL.com's scoring system rated him the most athletic center at the combine this year. He was also a four-year starter for the Wildcats with 47 total starts across his 50 games played. He started 23 games at left guard, 15 at center and nine at right guard per the Athletic's Dane Brugler.

Chances are the projected Day 3 prospect isn't ready to start on Day 1. However, if he has backup capabilities at all three interior OL spots there's a strong chance he could land on the roster and begin his path toward carving out some kind of starting role for San Francisco down the line.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 2026 NFL draft: Jager Burton could be 49ers long-term interior OL fix

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