The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the San Francisco 49ers are off to the next phase of their offseason program, with rookie minicamp coming up soon.
Heading into the offseason, the 49ers had a plan to address quite a few of their needs, becoming much more active in free agency with additions at wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, and cornerback. San Francisco could end up having a new starter at each of those positions in 2026.
That allowed for some flexibility in the
draft, where the 49ers could look away from filling current needs and take the best available players while also prioritizing for the future. That led to them taking wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, edge rusher Romello Height, and running back Kaelon Black with their first three picks.
Now, as the next part of the offseason comes, it feels like much of San Francisco’s roster is set. But there is still one major question: who will start at left guard?
Coming into the offseason with a hole at the position after Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch departed this offseason, the 49ers haven’t really done much to fill the void. They addressed their swing tackle spot with the addition of Vederian Lowe on a two-year deal, but elected to go with a number of smaller signings at guard.
The most notable was Brett Toth, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with $2.215 million in guarantees. The 49ers also added Robert Jones on a one-year, $1.75 million deal with $1.64 million in guarantees. Neither of those deals screams locked-in starter.
The 49ers do have Connor Colby returning, but the 2025 seventh-round pick looked overmatched as a rookie when thrown into the fire following some injuries at left guard last year. Is he the immediate answer?
In the draft, despite needing an offensive lineman, both for the present and the future, the 49ers waited until Day 3 to address the position, taking Washington offensive lineman Carver Willis at the end of the fourth round.
Willis played tackle in college, but is projected to move to the interior at the next level, with guard or center as a realistic spot. He could get an early start at rookie minicamp, and some analysts have predicted he’s a frontrunner to start at left guard. But, with a position change and uncertainty of where he’ll end up playing in the future, I’m not sure he’s the penciled-in left guard either in 2026.
Now, the 49ers have seen tackle-converted-guards start early. Just see Dominick Puni, who stepped into the mix on Day 1 in 2024 at right guard after playing tackle during his six-year collegiate career. But Puni was a better college prospect going into the draft and had more experience as a player.
San Francisco hasn’t shown a willingness to spend at the position. But they’ve got some unknowns set to compete at left guard. With a couple of veterans still out there, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 49ers test out their room over the next two months before deciding on making a move before training camp.
