49ers Training Camp position-by-position breakdown

Offensive Line Breakdown

The 49ers offensive line will struggle to overcome the shocking loss via retirement of Anthony Davis and, to a lesser extent due to his reduced performance in 2014, of Mike Iupati to the Arizona Cardinals. Joe Staley will remain the stud at left tackle protecting Kap’s blind side. Other than that, most positions are not guaranteed — or at least, who will be playing where is not guaranteed.

Marcus Martin, Alex Boone, and Brandon Thomas will likely be taking starting roles on the inside, but who is where is uncertain. Boone could also shift to right tackle if need be, though Erik Pears, as poor as he may have played for the Buffalo Bills last season, will likely be manning the ship on that side as a stop-gap.

Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney could also break into the starting lineup, depending on what they show in the next month or so. More likely, however, they will be backups and rotational players to give others a break. Kilgore definitely has the talent to play the interior line, and Looney does as well, though to a lesser extent.

The 49ers have a lot of depth on the offensive line, so seeing Iupati go was not a big deal. Davis walking, however, proves much more difficult, as the 49ers depth is primarily inside and focused more on the running game than the passing game.

Gore may be gone, but the line will still block relatively well for Carlos Hyde and company. The right side won’t be as strong, however, and Kaepernick will hopefully be protected well, though this is, admittedly, not a sure thing — especially on the right side.

Next: Defensive Line Breakdown