Rookie guard Aaron Banks has yet to get reps with the first-team offense in training camp. Daniel Brunskill and Tom Compton have been switching off at right guard, with Colton McKivitz getting some work there on Wednesday. In April, the San Francisco 49ers made Banks a second-round draft pick out of Notre Dame and have lofty expectations for the 23-year-old offensive lineman.
Fans may be concerned by Banks' lack of first-team reps this far into training camp. Another former player for the Fighting Irish, Mike McGlinchey, joined 95.7 The Game on Friday and was asked about his rookie teammate.
"Well, Banks has done a great job so far in camp," McGlinchey told Ryan Covay and Dan Devone. "He's competing hard. He's learning the playbook. He's done well."
So why the lack of starting reps for Banks? That's just part of the process for an offensive line that has more depth and experience than in previous years.
"We have a lot of competition in our room," McGlinchey continued. "I anticipate Banks having a great shot at it, but at the same time, we have a lot of guys that have played a lot of football, and a lot of good football, for us. So, the sky's the limit for Aaron.
"He's going to continue to learn as he does, but he's done a great job this camp, and he's going to continue to grind, and learn, and sharpen up his technique, and his body, and all that, and get ready to go whenever his time is called."
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel went into more detail regarding Banks' development in his first NFL offseason, indicating that the rookie simply is not ready yet. However, that doesn't mean he won't be at some point.
"He's doing a good job really attacking the technique that we ask our linemen to do," McDaniel said this week. "A lot of the stuff that we ask them to do is a little different than they're used to. So he's attacking it. But with that, you'll jump offside sometimes. You'll be a little sloppy in your technique because you're not used to it.
"He can't turn his brain off right now before he goes and plays. So that's something that we're not really concerned about at all. It's a natural progression that all players really go through."
There is another rookie whom fans are clamoring for updates. His first name is Trey. No, not Trey Lance, the first-round quarterback selected No. 3 overall. Well, fans are clamoring for updates on him too. I'm actually talking about running back Trey Sermon—the 49ers selection made after Banks.
After three seasons at Oklahoma, Sermon carried the football 116 times for 870 yards with four rushing touchdowns while adding 12 receptions for 95 yards through eight games with Ohio State in 2020. San Francisco figures to get Sermon very involved this season in a running back rotation that includes Raheem Mostert, fellow rookie Elijah Mitchell, and others.
"I think Trey's done a great job," McGlinchey said. "He's done a great job as a rookie, coming in, putting his head down, and grinding, and learning what's going on. There's a lot on our tailbacks to do different things for our offense, whether it's running routes, whether it's running the ball, or even in protection. And he's impressed me there in a big way because not often do you see rookie running backs take pride in the way that they protect the passer on third down.
"And our [running backs] coach, Bobby Turner, does an unbelievable job of getting those guys going and teaching them the right way ... He's one of the best assistant coaches in the history of football. And so, Trey's in a great room, he's in great hands, and he's done very well for himself so far in camp."
Sermon spoke with reporters on Friday and shared more about his working relationship with Turner, who has gotten a lot out of his running backs during his many years coaching the position.
"He coaches us hard, and he expects a lot out of us," Sermon said. "That's all you can ask for in a coach, just to continue to push you. That's just the coach of the running back room. He expects greatness out of every single person in that room. Just being on the field with him, being coached hard, I just love it."
You can listen to the entire interview with McGlinchey below.
