There was a lot of concern surrounding the interior of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line heading into this season. How would the largely inexperienced starting guards perform? One player responded to the concern by playing some impressive football in the first two weeks.
Pro Football Focus handed second-year guard Aaron Banks the team's highest overall grade (77.7) among offensive players. In addition, Banks is the 49ers' highest-graded offensive lineman this season, even beating out veteran Trent Williams by a slight margin.
Banks' pass-blocking grade of 82.2 ranks second on the team. Who beat him out? The 49ers' other starting guard, Spencer Burford. He earned an 83.7 pass-blocking grade.
Banks is tied for the sixth-highest overall grade and seventh-highest pass-blocking grade among all NFL guards.
"I've been real happy with him these first two weeks," head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Banks. "I think he took a step up in Week 1 from the preseason. And I think he even took a greater step up in Week 2 compared to Week 1. I thought he had one of [his] better games on offense. He did a hell of a job."
Shanahan is correct regarding Banks' improvement this season, at least from Pro Football Focus' perspective. Banks' 56.0 overall grade during the preseason was underwhelming, while his 28.9 pass-blocking grade was abysmal. However, his overall grade jumped to 67.1 in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and then to 77.7 on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Banks, 25, has allowed only three quarterback pressures this season in 65 pass block attempts. The 49ers may have struck gold with the former second-round draft pick.