Heading into the season, there was much concern about the inexperience of the 49ers’ remodeled interior offensive line. Six games into the campaign, such worries appear as if they were overblown.
Buy 49ers TicketsAn IOL trio of center Jake Brendel, who prior to this season had started only three games, and guards Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford was not one to inspire much confidence on the surface. The decision to start Burford at right guard as a fourth-round rookie was an eyebrow-raiser, while Banks approached his second year under significant pressure to perform following a rookie year in which the 2021 second-round pick did not start a game.
Though Burford is now in something of a rotation at right guard with veteran Daniel Brunskill, the unheralded triumvirate has largely delivered to this point, with the injuries at tackle the primary reason why Jimmy Garoppolo came under more concerted pressure during the Week 6 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons.
Banks has been particularly excellent, silencing his doubters with consistently strong pass protection, though he could still improve his play as a run blocker in terms of getting to the second level of the defense when the 49ers run outside zone.
Aaron Banks has been great all season and was tremendous last week against Grady Jarrett. Next up, the small matter of facing Chris Jones. pic.twitter.com/xhviyZe0OW
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) October 22, 2022
It is arguably the flip side for Burford, who is more volatile in pass protection but brings a blend of physicality and athleticism to the run game that should make him a significant asset to the 49er ground attack long term.
Meanwhile Brendel ranks fifth in ESPN’s pass block win rate and 10th in run block win rate among centers, the numbers so far vindicating San Francisco’s decision to go with him rather than making a big investment in a center from outside the organization.
Love how easy Spencer Burford gets to the second level. He's going to be a massive asset to the run game long-term. Stop the RG rotation and allow Burford to blossom into the plus starting guard he can become. pic.twitter.com/hTLqqAHDnt
— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) October 22, 2022
Yet with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams set to return to the lineup following a high ankle sprain and starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey shaking off the calf injury he suffered in Atlanta, the strength of the 49er O-Line will again be on the edges when San Francisco hosts the Kansas City Chiefs in a Super Bowl LIV rematch in Week 7.
The Chiefs’ defense will look to attack what they consider the weakness, likely to be the interior of the line, and they have the ideal player with which to do just that in the form of star defensive tackle Chris Jones.
Those 49er players who were on the field for Super Bowl LIV know all too well about the influence Jones can have, as his ability to create interior pressure and deflect passes at the line of scrimmage helped derail San Francisco’s efforts to put the Chiefs away.
Jones leads the NFL in pass rush win rate among defensive tackles, beating his pass protector within 2.5 seconds on 23 percent of his pass rush snaps, and has athleticism to win rushing up the middle and around the outside, that versatility making him a substantial threat on the stunts and twists that Kansas City consistently runs up front.
As such, awareness and communication will also be paramount for the 49er O-Line if it is to slow down one of the NFL’s elite interior defenders.
The 49ers had success in keeping Aaron Donald relatively quiet even without Williams on the field. Having both starting tackles back in the mix greatly improves the odds of nullifying the Kansas City pass rush but the onus will primarily be on Brendel, Banks and Burford — depending on how often he rotates with Brunskill — to ensure Jones does not once again prove a thorn in Garoppolo’s side.
This young group has already passed several tests already in 2022, come through this one and it may be time to start talking about San Francisco’s O-Line as one of the premier units in the NFL.
