FanHouse HeathBenedict

Heath Benedict, a Newberry College offensive lineman who was expected to be selected in next month's NFL draft, was found dead in his apartment in Jacksonville, Florida Wednesday night.

Benedict was a 25-year-old who had transferred to Division II Newberry. He had been projected to go as high as the third round.

No cause of death has been released, but local police reportedly do not suspect drugs, alcohol or foul play.

As a teenager in New Jersey, Benedict was one of the best high school offensive lineman in the country, and he took a football scholarship to Tennessee. But he was unhappy there and left school as a freshman. Newberry, a small school in Newberry, South Carolina, then convinced him to enroll, and he became a Division II All-American.

"Right now, we're all just trying to figure out what to do," Newberry College assistant football coach Ike Allred told The State. "Obviously, we're all just praying for Heath and his family at this time."

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

1. Offensive Tackle. There is a reason the 49ers gave up the most sacks in the league last year. There's a reason Frank Gore had a letdown year (a few, actually, but this is one). The 49ers are off to a good start at overhauling the position with Joe Staley, but Staley's moving over to the left side, and it's up in the air how he'll respond. Backup Kwame Harris is a free agent, and the 49ers aren't really fans of either him or Jonas Jennings. The team is going to need a starter at right tackle, whether that's Jennings or someone new. But the team need a general upgrade in talent and depth. Bad news. The 49ers don't have a late first round pick. They could hope that Jeff Otah, Ryan Clady, or Sam Baker fall to them. An intriguing pick for later in the first day is Heath Benedict from Newberry. They'll have to get some help out of the draft, because free agency is scarce. Max Starks looks to be the the best available, meaning someone will grossly overpay for him.