Daniel Brunskill and Tom Compton were slated for a heated training camp battle for the starting right guard job. It sounds like one San Francisco 49ers beat writer, Matt Barrows of The Athletic, feels the latter is primed to win the job.
It has nothing to do with the competition because there has been no competition. Center Ben Garland made sure of that after suffering an ankle sprain that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of camp. He is expected to be healthy for Week 1, though.
That injury has forced Brunskill to fill in at center, leaving Compton with most of the reps at right guard.
"That likely means Garland and Tom Compton are the center and right guard combination for that game (against the Arizona Cardinals)," Barrows recently wrote in a mailbag. "Why? Because Garland's absence has meant Brunskill has had to fill in at center instead of dueling with Compton at right guard."
It looks like Garland's injury may have cost Brunskill a potential starting job. However, it also means the already versatile offensive lineman is receiving valuable reps at center, should he be needed to fill in during the season.
Garland, by the way, is keeping the spot warm himself with starter Weston Richburg expected to land on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) list and missing at least the first six games of the season. He is attempting to return from the torn patellar tendon he suffered late last season.