The San Francisco 49ers drafted UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford with the 134th pick overall in the 2022 NFL draft, finally adding another body to the front line of offense. Burford improved his draft inventory at the Senior Bowl, combining versatility with an intriguing athletic profile.
Burford, a 6-foot-4-inch, 304-pound lineman, was UTSA’s first four-star recruit out of high school and started 43 of 45 career games at UTSA. He started 21 games at LG, 20 at LT and 2 at RT. He never allowed more than 15 loads in a season, according to Pro Football Focus. Also, despite spending four years in college, Burford won’t turn 22 until July.
UTSA performed several systems including both zone and people blocking. According to his scouting report, Burford is not known as a Mauler but works hard and plays through the whistle. His strengths include a quick lateral first step, working on the second level, and completing second level defenders. That sounds like a Kyle Shanahan offensive lineman. Burford’s listed weaknesses are that he is inconsistent with his hand placement, tends to overstretch and struggles with pass-per counts that involve speed.
At the combine, he ran a 5.19 40-yard dash and jumped 27.5 vertically with a 4.73 20-yard shuttle. The ideal target for the short shuttle on the offensive line is 4.47.
Burford also has an 82-inch wingspan, which should come in extremely handy if the 49ers decide Burford should play tackle in the NFL.
Big Board Ranking:
ESPN: 212
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com): Unranked (of 150)
PFF: 137
Danny Kelly (The Ringer): Unranked (out of 100)
Dane Brugler (The Athletic): 133
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Center, safety and nickel corner are the most noticeable holes in the 49ers’ roster, but they have some questions about their depth at the tight end as they near the bottom of the draft.
Here are the 49ers’ remaining picks: 172, 187, 220, 221, 262