With the 70th pick in the 2014 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers select: Marcus Martin, center from University of Southern California.
Did 49ers fans jump for joy? Did they groan in disgust?
Honestly, most Niners fans were probably indifferent for nearly the entire draft because of the asinine amount of picks. But, Martin was one of the best player at a position of need, and the Niners added a good one. eDraft's own Vincent Frank grades the Martin pick, along with the rest of the 49ers' selections here.
So, what are the chances that Martin starts for the Niners in 2014?
ESPN's Louis Riddick believes he is a starter at some point.
In a nutshell, one could seriously argue that he deserves the chance to compete for the starting job, but will he win? The competition for the job is between Martin and three-year veteran Daniel Kilgore.
What Kilgore can bring to the table is solid run blocking, which seems to be the culture of the Niners' offensive line. But, he only has 170 snaps in his career, so having "experience" will not give him the edge over Martin.
From eDraft's own Richard Gatenby on Martin:
"The only true junior at the combine, Martin started 20 games at left guard in his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to center for ten games last year. Martin has a naturally thick build that allows him to successfully grind away in the trenches.
The Trojan possesses tremendous core power and looks a very fluid player on tape which should translate very well to the drills at the combine. Not only that, but I also expect Martin to measure well. With just one year at center, scouts will be picking at his game to see if his potential is as advertised."
Take a look for yourself, as Martin faced some of the best defensive lineman in college football below:
If there had to be a number placed on Martin starting for the Niners in 2014, a safe bet would be higher than 50 percent. Pairing him with Joe Staley, Mike Iupati, Alex Boone, and Anthony Davis would be one devastating offensive line.