The 49ers on Wednesday made an intriguing addition to their offensive line depth when they announced the signing of former Cardinals offensive tackle William Sweet.
Sweet was an undrafted free agent for the Cardinals last year and spent the season on Injured Reserve before getting waived in February.
Perhaps the biggest knock on the 6-6, 313-pound offensive tackle is a lack of experience. He started only 14 games across three seasons, including 10 during the 2018 campaign at left tackle. Sweet earned the starting job as a redshirt sophomore, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game.
Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus noted Sweet was dominant as a pass blocker during his final season in the ACC:
Sweet allowed just one sack in 386 pass blocking snaps at left tackle in his junior year at North Carolina in 2018 before declaring for the draft. #49ers https://t.co/us7KXh8LgY
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) August 12, 2020
He’s a good athlete with good length, but injuries have kept him from ever getting enough snaps to prove worthy of an NFL roster spot. Sweet will add some depth at tackle after Shon Coleman opted out. He could be a practice squad candidate if he’s healthy, which would give him an opportunity to be a bigger factor in future seasons.
The addition of Sweet gives the 49ers the maximum 80 players on their training camp roster. Any additional moves will require the club to make a corresponding cut.