Pro Football Focus (PFF) analyst Trevor Sikkema recently highlighted the biggest remaining need for every NFL team. For the 49ers, he zeroed in on the interior offensive line.
"The 49ers did little to add depth or new faces to their offensive line group, specifically on the interior," Sikkema explained. "They have a gem in Dominick Puni, who was a fantastic starter as a rookie last season, earning an 81.9 PFF overall grade. But Jake Brendel recorded a 67.9 mark at center, and with Aaron Banks gone, Ben Bartch will have to step up at the other guard spot as things stand."
The 49ers' decision to stand pat with their current group suggests some level of confidence in the players they have, but questions remain. San Francisco's late-round addition, Connor Colby, may get a chance to compete for the left guard spot alongside Nick Zakelj, Matt Hennessy, and Spencer Burford.
Burford remains a wild card. Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently praised the third-year lineman's versatility.
"He's capable of playing, really, all the positions," Shanahan said last month, "so it's really where he can help us out the most, where he can get the most comfortable at. I think, as he showed us, especially his rookie year, he has starting ability at guard. We believe he has that at tackle too, and it's really where he is going to balance out the most."
Questions on the interior offensive line could linger into training camp. How well this unit holds up in the trenches may determine whether San Francisco can bounce back from a disappointing six-win 2024 campaign.
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