The 49ers made their second trade of the day Saturday when they sent running back Matt Breida to the Dolphins in exchange for pick No. 153. San Francisco then used that pick to select West Virginia offensive tackle Colton McKivitz.
Breida was a popular name in trade rumors leading up to the draft after he signed a one-year restricted free agent tender to stay in San Francisco. It was going to be tough for him to get snaps in a crowded backfield, and the 49ers were in need of some draft capital after not selecting for three entire rounds. Snagging an early Round 5 pick for Breida is pretty good value.
The 49ers signed Breida as an undrafted rookie in 2017, and he’s produced at a pretty good clip with the club. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 43 games across three seasons. The last two years he dealt with some injury issues, and fell out of favor after fumbling three times in his final 17 carries in 2019.
San Francisco used the additional selection to pick up West Virginia offensive tackle Colton McKivitiz.
McKivitz measured in at 6-6, 306 pounds at the combine. He doesn’t have great measurables from a size or athleticism standpoint, but NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein lauded McKivitz for his nastiness as a blocker.
There’s a chance San Francisco tries to transition McKivitz to the interior where his size becomes less of a negative factor and he can use his aggressiveness to help move bodies around inside.
If the team plans to keep him at tackle, he’ll jump in with Shon Coleman and 2019 sixth-round pick Justin Skule to compete for the swing tackle job.
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