Iowa football: Which UDFAs will make the active roster

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive linemen Keegan Render #69 and Ross Reynolds #59 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Ross Reynolds – San Francisco 49ers

Ross Reynolds should have been drafted, but that’s neither here nor there at this point. What matters is that he ended up in a perfect position playing under Kyle Shannahan, whose dad, Mike, made zone-blocking schemes in vogue in the late ’90s with the Denver Broncos.

Reynolds played in a similar scheme with the Iowa football program, and as a rookie, that will give him a huge leg up as he attempts to digest Shannahan’s reportedly complex playbook.

Today, Reynolds is the fourth string guard on the 49er’s roster and on the surface, his rise up the depth chart appears to be a difficult journey. Outside of the starting two guards, there is long-time veteran Ben Garland and former first-rounder Joshua Garnett.

Garland’s veteran salary, however, nearly doubles that of Reynolds and Garnett is on his way out of San Francisco after they declined his fifth-year option.

If Reynolds has a good camp and learns the offense quickly, you better believe the 49ers would love to keep him on the roster. It isn’t happenstance they brought the guy in, the 49ers have shown an affinity for Iowa football players since John Lynch and Kyle Shannahan’s arrival and so far, it’s paid off pretty well.

Prediction: Reynolds makes the 53-man roster, but doesn’t start a game