Many have criticized the San Francisco 49ers for failing to sufficiently bolster their offensive line, a unit that has drawn heavy scrutiny and was widely viewed as needing an upgrade. After all, the team has to protect its massive investment in quarterback Brock Purdy, who received a five-year, $265 million extension this offseason.
The perceived need was so significant that many analysts expected the team to use their top draft pick on an offensive tackle to both upgrade Colton McKivitz on the right side and establish a succession plan for Trent Williams on the left.
Instead, the 49ers used just one draft pick on an offensive lineman, selecting Connor Colby in the seventh round—a guard.
The 49ers still boast a future Hall of Fame left tackle in Williams and have one of the most promising young guards on the right side in second-year player Dominick Puni. While fans remain critical of McKivitz at right tackle and Jake Brendel at center, the team continues to express confidence in both players.
The biggest uncertainty lies at left guard, where a competitive battle will ensue to replace Aaron Banks, who departed in free agency. Veteran Ben Bartch is currently the frontrunner, but training camp will ultimately determine the outcome.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) analyst Zoltán Buday recently ranked all 32 offensive lines, with the 49ers' unit coming in higher than many fans might expect—at No. 12 overall.
"Trent Williams remains the leader of San Francisco's line, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old won't be able to do so forever," Buday wrote. "For the first time in five seasons, he ranked outside the top two offensive tackles in PFF overall grade (85.6) this past year."
It's worth noting that Williams missed the final seven games of last season due to a lingering ankle injury. However, the 11-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman insists he is healthy heading into training camp, saying, "It's good. Yeah, it's in the past. I got past that one."
Continued strong play from Williams and the impressive emergence of Puni are key factors lifting the 49ers' offensive line in PFF's evaluation. Puni should only improve in his sophomore NFL season.
"The 49ers' group is still above average, especially considering Dominick Puni's emergence," Buday added. "The Kansas product ranked sixth among all guards with an 80.5 PFF overall grade as a rookie."