Last year, San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster said this about the draft: "If they ask me, invest in guys that touch the ball, guys that can touch the ball and score touchdowns . . . That guy that touches the ball, it makes a huge difference in the game."
I was flabbergasted. I never imagined a position coach would basically say, "Guys at my position are not that important."
Apparently, Foerster has forgotten something: unless the quarterback is upright, no one is going to catch the ball, and unless there is a hole to run through, even an all-world running back won't get any yardage. And those touchdowns? You can forget about them.
On the other hand, after this year's Super Bowl, 49ers tight end George Kittle said, "If the Super Bowl showed anything, it's if you have a really good offensive line and a really good defensive line, it doesn't matter what the other team has."
Exactly. And that's why 49ers general manager John Lynch needs to invest serious draft capital in the offensive line this year. Lynch has focused on the defensive line his entire time in SF. Even though some of those picks and signings did not work out (see: Solomon Thomas and Javon Kinlaw), he built very good defensive lines by using high draft picks and spending money on free agents to do so.
And how did the Eagles build that dominant offensive line? Right tackle Lane Johnson was the 4th overall selection in the draft. Left guard Landon Dickerson was a 2nd-round pick, and center Cam Jurgens was also a 2nd-rounder. Lynch says he likes the players he has and that they have performed well. But the fact is that they did not perform well when the biggest games were on the line. In Super Bowl 54, the offense bogged down in the 4th quarter because the Chiefs' defense was able to pressure quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Two years ago, quarterback Brock Purdy had an open Jauan Jennings for a likely touchdown but had to dirt the ball because Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones blew up the play (Jones was also a nemesis in the earlier Super Bowl). However, though Jones might end up in the Hall of Fame, he did nothing against the Eagles. In the biggest of games, their offensive line dominated the Chiefs' defense.
It's not enough to be solid against mediocre teams. You have to be dominant against the best teams to win Super Bowls, and the 49ers' current offensive line cannot do that. Compare whom the 49ers have now to Niner offensive linemen during the glory days. Those O-lines took care of business. In their last Super Bowl run, they had three Pro Bowlers on the line in Harris Barton (1st round), Bart Oates, and Jesse Sapolu. In their Super Bowl win before that, they had four in Barton, Sapolu, Guy McIntyre (3rd round), and Randy Cross (2nd round).
The 49ers currently have one dominant lineman in left tackle Trent Williams, who will turn 37 this year, and a very promising one in right guard Dominick Puni. But the rest are average to poor.
The 49ers do not have the salary cap space to upgrade the offensive line in free agency this year—or likely next. That's why this year's draft is so important. With four of the first 100 picks, Lynch has the capital to get at least two new starters.
Listen to your tight end. It's the trenches, man, it's the trenches.