The San Francisco 49ers may be gearing up to try something a little different along their offensive line.
Going into the offseason it was clear the 49ers needed to at bare minimum add competition for the right side of the offensive front. Right guard was a rotating cast of players last season, while right tackle was a clear weak spot.
They added right guard help in the third round of this year’s draft when they selected Kansas offensive lineman Dominick Puni. He won the starting right guard spot out of camp and has acquitted himself well through three games.
At right tackle they brought in some veterans like Chris Hubbard and Brandon Parker, but neither really pushed incumbent right tackle Colton McKivitz for a starting job. It appears that competition may now be coming for the bookend opposite Trent Williams.
Offensive line coach Chris Foerster was asked in his Thursday press conference whether swing tackle Jaylon Moore played on the right side at all. He indicated that Moore does work on that side, but then he indicated another interior offensive lineman is moving to tackle.
“He gets a little work the right side,” Foerster said of Moore. “He’s been getting work since the start of the season. Wednesdays, Trent is usually off, and then Thursdays he’s back at practice, so he’s able to get a little bit more work at both tackles. As is, we’re working Spencer Burford to tackle as well.”
This is an intriguing development since Burford exclusively played guard for the 49ers since they selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. However, he played all over the offensive line in college and logged more than 20 starts at either right or left tackle.
It’s not out of the question that San Francisco would make a mid-season change on the OL. They’ve done it at right guard in each of the last two years by rotating players in with Burford who started at that spot his first two seasons.
McKivitz would be the logical choice to replace. He’s allowed a team-worst 13 pressures, one sack, and half of the six quarterback hits the offensive line has allowed through three games per Pro Football Focus.
Keeping quarterback Brock Purdy upright and healthy is going to be vital to the 49ers overcoming the bombardment of injuries that’ve hit them this season, and making a change on the offensive line may be necessary to ensure that happens.
