49ers met multiple times with '5-position versatility' OL prospect

The San Francisco 49ers recently hosted Oregon offensive lineman Alex Harkey for a Top 30 visit, but that is only a portion of their meetings with the former Ducks player. While Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo reported the Top 30 visit, San Francisco Standard reporter David Lombardi added that the 49ers also interviewed Harkey at the NFL Scouting Combine, as well as conducted a Zoom interview with the prospect. This doesn't necessarily mean Harkey is a clear draft target for the 49ers, but they've certainly done their due diligence on the prospect.

And for good reason — while Harkey played mostly tackle in college, he has experience at guard and even started as a tight end. He also told teams he'd be willing to play center if necessary. That's why Melo wrote that teams "believe he has true 5-position versatility.

" And, as Lombardi noted, 49ers general manager John Lynch is close with Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. That connection surely helps with the evaluation of a player. As for Harkey himself, the 24-year-old stands at 6-foot-5 and 313-pounder and is expected to be a mid-to-late Day 3 pick.

He's started just 26 games over the past two seasons, but has six years of collegiate experience, starting with two years at Tyler Junior College before a year at Colorado and two years at Texas State, before he joined the Ducks in 2025. Adding someone like Harkey late gives the 49ers ample time to develop him into a player they could use throughout the offensive line. The only real starting role available is at left guard, but Harkey would need to get comfortable with the position before he stepped into any starting role.