SANTA CLARA — The 49ers were so determined to upgrade their offensive line they invested three draft picks in the makeover project Thursday during the first round of the NFL draft.
The 49ers traded away their fourth-round pick to move up two spots to the No. 11 overall selection, where they secured Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis.
Even after making that huge commitment in the offensive line, the 49ers came back to select Idaho guard Mike Iupati with the 17th overall pick.
"Going back a week ago, we targeted these two players," said 49ers director of player personnel Trent Baalke, who took over as the team's lead person in the draft five weeks ago after general manager Scot McCloughan's departure.
"We felt if we came out of the first round like this, it would be the perfect storm. We feel good. We got two good football players. More importantly, they're good people and they fit the identity of the kind of players we want on this team."
Davis (6-foot-5, 323 pounds) and Iupati (6-5, 331) immediately increase the size of the 49ers' offensive line. Adam Snyder (6-5, 325) is listed as the biggest incumbent on the team.
Since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, the 49ers had not previously chosen an offensive tackle within the top 20 picks, and they've never gone with a guard in the top 30.
With the selections of two offensive linemen in the first round, the 49ers have placed two 16-game starters from a year ago on notice. Davis is expected to unseat incumbent right tackle Snyder, while Iupati is on the fast track to replace left guard David Baas.
As many as four offensive tackles were expected to be selected within the top 10 picks in the draft, casting doubt whether the 49ers would be able to fill their most dire need. Trent Williams was Washington's pick at No. 4, while the Seattle Seahawks took Russell Okung with the sixth pick.
Davis could've been a landing spot for the Raiders at No. 8, but Al Davis chose linebacker Rolando McClain instead. When the Buffalo Bills selected running back C.J. Spiller with the ninth pick, the 49ers did not see a threat from Jacksonville, Denver or Miami taking Davis.
Still, the 49ers decided they would not take any chances.
"I wasn't worried about the teams in front of us at all," Baalke said. "I was more concerned about who else might come up and jump ahead of us because they knew what our needs were at the time."
The 49ers traded away their fourth-round pick, No. 113 overall, to Denver to move up two spots for Davis. If Davis had already been chosen, Baalke said the 49ers would've remained at 13 and selected Iupati.
Davis and Iupati are are the kind of physical players Singletary said he wants on the team's offensive line.
"We want to have a balanced attack," Singletary said. "When we want to run the ball — when we need to run the ball — we're going to run the ball. But we want to have a balanced attack. We want to play good, solid football. We feel we have good personnel to do that."
Both Davis and Iupati took recent visits to Santa Clara. Both players said they had good feelings about the 49ers from their time around the team offices.
"It felt a lot different," Davis said, comparing his trip to visit the 49ers with his other stops around the NFL.
"That's why I was so big on the 49ers going through the whole process. Of course, I had to keep it to myself. There are great people in the building. The whole staff are great people. The team is a tight-knit group. I like what Singletary is building over there. I can't wait to be a part of it and win some games.'
Davis entered Rutgers as a 363-pound freshman. He started 32 of his 38 games, including 23 at left tackle. Davis, 20, declared for the draft following his junior season. During the draft process, Davis was criticized for being lazy and lacking a commitment. Singletary said he has no such concerns after conducting his own background work.
"I love this game," Davis said. "We'll see. Everybody with negative things to say, I really don't pay too much attention to it. They'll see a guy who's ready to work, ready to learn, make himself the best tackle he can be."
Iupati left the 49ers impressed after a long strategy session with offensive line coach Mike Solari.
"I learned a lot from him," Iupati said. "We spent at least three hours in that room, just talking about plays, learning the defense and the plays they run. If it were up to me, I would want to get coached by him."
Generally, NFL teams are reticent to select guards in the first round. The last true guard selected in the middle of the first round was Steve Hutchinson, whom the Seahawks chose him at No. 17 in 2001. Hutchinson has been selected to the Pro Bowl seven times.
"All I know when I turn on the film is what I see," Singletary said. "A lot of teams talk about the value of a tackle and a value of this and a value of that. Can the guy play? That's all I want to know. Can he play physical? Is he going to come to practice every day and work hard? Is he going to get better? Is he going to make us better? That's the only thing I want to know.
"When you have 32 picks up there (in the first round), there's going to be a small percentage of these guys who are going to be great players. Hopefully, we got two of them today."
For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.
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