49ers training camp preview: Can the offensive line prove dependable in 2019?
The 49ers got some good news last months when stalwart left tackle Joe Staley inked a two-year contract extension through 2021, which could allow coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive line to develop into a reliable group in the foreseeable future.
With training camp coming later this week, let’s take a look at the offensive line in our latest positional preview.
Defining story line: Growing together
Injuries have plagued the 49ers over the past two seasons, but the offensive line was arguably the club’s most stable position group in 2018. Four of the five starters appeared in all 16 games. The other, center Weston Richburg, missed just one. And the group got better as the season wore on, though it wasn’t perfect.
Richburg played through a knee/quad injury throughout the year he initially suffered in Week 4 against the Chargers. He had surgery after the season and missed the entire spring program. Richburg struggled to anchor in pass protection largely because of the injury, which showed up against elite defenders such as Akiem Hicks of the Bears and the Rams’ back-to-back defensive player of the year, Aaron Donald.
Shanahan identified Richburg early in the process during the 2018 offseason. He liked him enough to trade respected starter Daniel Kilgore to the Miami Dolphins as Richburg received a five-year, $47.5 million contract, which is currently the third-largest deal among NFL centers. Richburg didn’t quite live up to it Year 1, but San Francisco is hoping he’ll be better in 2019 after having a year in the system paired with improved health.
Elsewhere, the other four starters should remain in place, which should make the offensive line dependable again in 2019. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey played well during his rookie season while appearing in all 16 games, and has the talent to become one of the better right tackles in the league. Staley, a six-time Pro Bowler, remains one of the most consistent players at his position and signed up for three more seasons because he doesn’t believe his game has dropped off in his mid-30s. Staley will turn 35 on Aug. 30.
The 49ers also locked up left guard Laken Tomlinson to a three-year, $18 million extension in June 2018, before he had the best season of his career after previously being a disappointing first-round pick of Detroit in 2015. Veteran Mike Person, who was brought in to compete for a depth role in 2018, won the starting job at right guard throughout training camp and made a positive enough impressive to warrant his own three-year extension through 2021.
With that starting five likely to remain intact, the battles in training camp should come down to depth roles, with 2016 first-round pick Joshua Garnett needing to play well this summer to stick. Otherwise, veterans like Ben Garland and Wesley Johnson could lead to Garnett’s departure after struggling to live up to his draft billing.
Projected starters
From left to right: Staley, Tomlinson, Richburg, Person and McGlinchey. That group will have to improve in pass protection after allowing the quarterback to get taken down on over 8 percent of pass attempts to rank 24th in the NFL. Some of that had to do with quarterbacks holding on to the ball too long, particularly in the case of Jimmy Garoppolo (sacked on 12.7 percent of his dropbacks) and C.J. Beathard (9.6 percent).
The 49ers lacked continuity in the passing game throughout the season – not only because Garoppolo went down for the year in Week 3. Receivers Marquise Goodwin, Pierre Garçon, Dante Pettis and Trent Taylor were all nagged by injuries. The same was true at running back. Presumably, getting more consistency from the skill positions should lead to improved protection numbers from the offensive line.
On the ground, the 49ers ranked 11th in yards per rush (4.5 yards) and 12th in yards per game (119). Staley and McGlinchey were very good at run blocking and improved continuity, paired with better health and depth at running back, could also lead to statistical improvements.
Sleeper(s) to watch
Garnett has the talent to develop into an NFL starter. It just might not come with San Francisco. But it can’t be ruled out entirely, either. His top issue has been health. He appeared in seven games last season and hasn’t made a start since his rookie year in 2016. His entire second year was wiped out because of an August knee injury that required surgery.
Since then, Garnett has dropped weight and worked hard to become more mobile to fit Shanahan’s outside zone running scheme. There’s a chance Garnett could win a starting job at right guard if he beats out Person, or if Person has to move to center because something happened to Richburg, who might ease his way into training camp after missing the entire spring following knee surgery.
Otherwise, Johnson, a two-year starter at center with the New York Jets, might have the leg up due to versatility to back up Richburg. Garland might also after spending a season working under Shanahan with the Falcons during their Super Bowl run in 2016.
At tackle, the 49ers like their recent sixth-round pick Justin Skule, who started four seasons in the SEC at Vanderbilt. He will compete with holdover Shon Coleman for the “swing” tackle role backing up Staley and McGlinchey.
Projected depth chart
Tackle
Joe Staley
Mike McGlinchey
Justin Skule
Shon Coleman
Christian DiLauro
Daniel Brunskill
Guard
Laken Tomlinson
Mike Person
Joshua Garnett
Ben Garland
Erik Magnuson
Najee Toran
Willie Beavers
Ross Reynolds
Center
Weston Richburg
Wesley Johnson
Person
Garland
Maguson