Chip Kelly needs to run the football for his offense to work in San Francisco, and the 49ers made a move to aid the ground game, trading up for Joshua Garnett.
The 49ers traded their second-rounder (No. 37 overall) a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder to the Chiefs to move up to No. 28 and take former Stanford guard Garnett.
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Garnett follows defensive end DeForest Buckner, who the 49ers drafted No. 7 overall, in going to San Francisco, with general manager Trent Baalke evidently focused on improving on both sides of the trenches.
While some may question the logic of trading up to take an interior lineman, the move does make sense for a 49ers team that saw their offensive line struggle mightily in 2015.
San Francisco gave up 53 sacks last season as they limped to a 5-11 record, and the 49ers also struggled to run the ball on a consistent basis, although Carlos Hyde's injury woes contributed to their problems on the ground.
Having signed Zane Beadles from the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency, the 49ers — who lost Alex Boone to the Minnesota Vikings after having seen Mike Iupati depart for the Arizona Cardinals last offseason — will hope Garnett can lock down the other guard spot and help re-establish them as a power running team.
Garnett would certainly seem to have the pedigree. A consensus All-American in 2015, he boasts a powerful 6-4 and 312-pound frame and has the mobility to get to the second level and open up holes in the ground game.
That athletic ability figures to be vital in the zone-blocking scheme Kelly will employ as he bids to turn the 49ers into an offensive force again with his fast-paced scheme.