The 49ers achieved their main goal pertaining to the offensive line this offseason, as they came to a resolution with Trent Williams on a contract that will keep with the team for two more seasons. Yet, externally, there remains plenty of frustration at how San Francisco continues to address that position group.
Unsurprisingly, San Francisco did not invest in any premium resources in the O-Line in free agency or the draft. Nor did the 49ers select a tackle in the draft who could be viewed as the heir
apparent to Williams, as many suggested they might.
But the Niners did add significantly to their depth up front, and there is a case to be made that they are in a strong position in the trenches in terms of their starters and their reserves.
Williams remains one of the elite in the game at left tackle and Colton McKivitz has blossomed into a solid starting right tackle. Behind them, the 49ers have a new swing tackle in Vederian Lowe who is experienced and has proven he can hold up as a relief option. Lowe allowed one sack in 176 pass blocking snaps for the Patriots at left tackle season, per PFF. Additionally, Austen Pleasants filled in admirably for Williams against the Chicago Bears last season and will hope to make the 53.
San Francisco added an athletic tackle with guard flexibility with their final pick in the draft in the form of Enrique Cruz Jr, and it is the interior where the question of the strength of the 49er offensive line is most pertinent.
Interior concerns remain
Jake Brendel divides opinion among fans, but the reality is that he is a center who has earned Kyle Shanahan’s trust and has an excellent rapport with Brock Purdy. While he did give up 22 pressures across the regular season and playoffs last season, he did not surrender a single sack, per PFF. Behind him is free agent signing Brett Toth, who had limited experience before last season, when he stepped in to play 363 snaps for the Eagles, spending time at center and left guard.
There is likely to be a lot of focus on the guard positions as the 49ers go through their preparations for the new season.
Indeed, right guard Dominick Puni endured a difficult second season after a strong rookie year in 2024. How he looks going into his third year will be an area of interest, as will the competition for the starting job at left guard.
On the surface, the options the 49ers have at that spot do not look overly convincing. Connor Colby started six games as a rookie seventh-round pick before he was benched for playing like a rookie seventh-round pick against a ferocious Houston Texans defensive line. Free agent signing Robert Jones has experience in the system after playing for Mike McDaniel in Miami but missed all of last season with the Dallas Cowboys through injury.
The wild card, though, is rookie fourth-round pick Carver Willis, who played tackle at Washington but will move inside with the 49ers.
While playing at tackle often exposed Willis’ flaws in pass protection, he excelled run blocking in an offense that majored in zone scheme with a heavy sprinkling of gap scheme runs. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Huskies averaged 7.3 yards per attempt when running behind Willis last season, putting him second among interior linemen in the 2026 class tracked by the site.
If he can shine in that area in training camp and display growth as a pass protector, then Willis could put himself in the mix to replicate what Puni did as a rookie and win the starting job. Whether such a scenario plays out may change the perception of the 49ers’ O-Line depth.
It is easier to believe a team is in a good spot up front if a rookie does enough to claim a starting job, leaving more experienced players as solid backup pieces. The inverse situation, with a veteran like Jones signed on a cheap, one-year deal backed up by inexperienced young players, is a tougher sell.
But the 49ers are strong at both tackle spots and have critical continuity at center. They have backups who have proven their value at tackle and several players with position flexibility among their options at the interior spots. The ingredients for a deep and dependable offensive line group are all there, however, with the 49ers betting on a bounce back from Puni and gambling that their open competition at left guard will yield a convincing solution, the overall impression of this year’s vintage up front is likely to hinge on how that regularly scrutinised interior shakes out.
