"Continuing our season previews series, the PFF analysis team recently ranked every NFL offensive line, based on both the starting lineup and projected depth of each unit," said Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus. "Joe Staley was one of just six NFL offensive tackles with an 84.0 grade or higher in both pass-blocking and run-blocking last season."
Pro Football Focus listed LT Joe Staley, LG Zane Beadles, C Daniel Kilgore, RG Brandon Thomas, and RT Erik Pears as the projected starters.
Joshua Garnett, the team's first-round selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, was listed among the "other names to know" along with Marcus Martin and Andrew Tiller.
"The 49ers are mostly this high because Joe Staley remains one of the better left tackles in football," Jahnke said in regards to the 49ers' number 26 ranking. "His play has declined slightly in each of the last four seasons, yet he still finished with the fifth-best overall grade among LTs last year. The rest of the San Francisco O-line is filled with rookies who haven't yet played to their potential and cheap free agents."
Staley was the team's highest rated offensive lineman with a 2015 grade of 86.6. Beadles had a 47.9 grade, Kilgore had a 40.8 grade, and Pears had a 37.5 grade. Thomas is ungraded.
Tiller actually had an impressive 80.7 grade in 631 snaps for the 2015 season. That was good enough to rank him as the top 49ers guard and the 18th guard overall in the NFL.