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guard Joshua Garnett as a San Francisco 49ers veteran who could be cut before the start of the season. Should that happen, most would view his selection as a first-round pick in 2016 as a significant blunder by the team.
A mistake from 2016 is not really the current regime's concern since that was a different general manager calling the shots. However, it is an unfortunate look considering the team has already moved on from one of its first-round selections the next year, linebacker Reuben Foster. The other, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, has yet to develop into the player the 49ers hoped for when the team made him its No. 3 overall pick.
49ers offensive line coach John Benton is confident that Garnett, despite an injury history, is a legitimate contender for a starting guard job.
"Josh is a legitimate, 100 percent contender,"
Benton recently told David Lombardi of The Athletic. "He'll get every opportunity again. He's just had such bad luck with injury. None have been too serious, but they last a legitimate amount of time."
Garnett has something to prove as he enters the final year of his four-year rookie contract. The 49ers opted against picking up his fifth-year option so 2019 — maybe even this offseason — is a make-or-break situation for the offensive lineman.
Garnett started 11 games during his rookie year in 2016 but then missed all of 2017 after landing on injured reserve with a knee injury just before the start of the season. He played in just 59 offensive snaps last season.
"Josh has had a good offseason this year, and he'll be given every opportunity to win a job there," Benton continued.
Garnett will need to beat out Mike Person, and he had an opportunity to prove himself during the 49ers' offseason program. Person was receiving snaps at center with Weston Richburg sidelined until at least training camp; possibly longer. Garnett filled in at right guard with the first-team offense.
The coaching staff, including Benton, feels Garnett is talented. He's just had trouble staying healthy. Garnett started to impress during last year's preseason games, but he dislocated his toe during Week 1 of the regular season and, once healthy, was never able to pry the job away from Person.
While Garnett showed flashes as a run-blocker during the preseason last year, he really shined in his pass blocking during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. While the analytics site's grades should be used as an added metric and never a complete analysis of a player's on-field play — especially an offensive lineman — Garnett's pass-blocking grade was on par with both Person and Laken Tomlinson.
"He's a talented guy, and it's a shame he's had to battle through these hardships," Benton added. "He's one of our most explosive guys, along with the athleticism, so I would love to see Josh put together a string and make a run at winning one of those jobs."
With the 2024 NFL Draft less than a week away, it's common for the rumor mill to start churning, especially with players who are actively seeking a new contract. It was just two short years ago that WR Deebo Samuel requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers prior to draft day, only for cooler heads to prevail and eventually agree to a new deal.
Now, it's WR Brandon Aiyuk's turn to try and get paid and rumors surfaced over the weekend that he too would request to be dealt. While that report was quickly shot down by his agent, there's still a lot of discussion about Aiyuk's future and if other teams will come calling on draft night.
Legendary columnist Mike Silver joined
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
Ian Rapoport didn't offer much of an update on the ongoing contract negotiations between the San Francisco 49ers and their standout wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk. However, the NFL insider emphasized one thing: The team is not entertaining trade discussions at this juncture.
Reacting to Aiyuk's decision to unfollow the 49ers on Instagram, Rapoport couldn't help but chuckle at the latest development. This practice has become commonplace among players who are unhappy with their contract situations. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel similarly took this action in 2022 before requesting to be traded just before the draft.
Things have yet to escalate that far with Aiyuk, but Rapoport sees his
