Joshua Garnett: How Does the 49ers Newest Offensive Lineman Fit in the Running Game

The San Francisco 49ers traded back into Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft to select Stanford offensive guard Joshua Garnett. Niner Noise breaks down Garnett’s fit in the Niners’ offensive scheme.

On draft night, the San Francisco 49ers traded back into the first round by sending their second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the Chiefs first-round pick.

With the 28th overall pick, the 49ers selected offensive guard Joshua Garnett of Stanford — widely regarded as the best run-blocking guard in the draft, and one that I previously mocked to the 49ers in the second round.

After watching game film on Garnett, it’s easy to see why the 49ers traded up to get him. Head coach Chip Kelly is widely known for being a primarily zone-running scheme coach, but he is also a smart offensively minded coach. To counter pursuit on the zone, Kelly-led offenses will run power/counter and aggressively punish defenders who overly pursue the zone run.

With Garnett, the 49ers are getting an athletic and versatile offensive lineman.

Where Garnett Wins

Garnett is an athletic and versatile offensive lineman who knows the both the power- and zone-running scheme. The addition of Curtis Modkins as the offensive coordinator suggests the offense will incorporate more gap/man-based blocking schemes found in the power and counter runs.

However, Garnett does know the zone scheme, as Stanford incorporated it into their playbook.

The pillar of Kelly’s offense is the zone run, specifically the inside zone. The inside-zone running game is as old as football itself and is a downhill, fast, physical attack which punishes a defense for over-pursuing.

Indeed, Kelly says in a 2009 coach’s clinic, “the inside zone play is our ‘go-to-work’ play. It has become our signature play. We want to get off the ball and be a physical, downhill-running football team. This is not a finesse play.”

The zone-running play works by having the offensive linemen block a space or a “zone.” The zone helps the linemen determine who and where to block. The blocking is determined by the defensive alignment.

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Covered linemen block the guy in front of them, uncovered linemen take a step toward the play side and help double team block with the linemen next to them before proceeding to the next level, usually to block a linebacker or crashing safety/corner. The double-team blocks are what really form the pinnacle of coach Kelly’s offense, as as he says the goal of his offensive line is to “knock the crap out of the defender, and deposit him in the linebacker’s lap.”

(Image: ESPN College Football Gameday)

**FOR ALL NCAA GIFS, GARNETT IS THE LEFT GUARD — No. 51**

But where Garnett excels most is in the power/counter scheme, where he can get out space. Stanford has a reputation for being a primarily power-running scheme team since the Jim Harbaugh era.

Like any good team, though, Stanford and head coach David Shaw build their scheme around their talent, and the addition of collegiate standout Christian McCaffrey gives the Cardinal an advantage in running misdirection and from spread formations.

The power/counter runs are a bit different than the zone run. The playside linemen (tackle/guard/center) look to downblock (block inside gap or man) away from the play first, block the man across from them second or seek to cutoff a playside linebacker.

The backside is known as the “wrapper” and pulls from his spot to the playside and acts as the lead blocker through the hole. The backside tackle or fullback pulls to the playside and helps kick out whichever defenders crashes the edge on the playside from inside out.

In a basic counter play, the backside guard and tackle both pull to the playside. Stanford’s running-game wrinkle incorporates a QB read into the handoff much like the zone read.

“The fullback is going to block the first thing off the tight end’s edge, inside to out,” Stanford head coach David Shaw explained at a coaching clinic in 2013. “We talk about having to pry the gap open. The fullback is the crowbar to the play.”

(GIF: ESPN College GameDay)

One wrinkle Stanford used this past season was the power-read and, unlike the zone read, the quarterback reads the pursuing linebackers before he decides to give or keep the ball. Garnett (No. 51) seals off the inside with his downblock, and quarterback Kevin Hogan cuts behind Garnett en route to a 59-yard touchdown run.

(Image: NFL GameRewind)

In Kelly’s offense (image above), the power run looks similar to the zone run when it’s blocked, with the exception being that the backside guard pulls into the hole as the lead blocker for the running back. This misdirection aggressively punishes defenders that cheat over.

(GIF: NFL GameRewind)

Another wrinkle Kelly will employ with Garnett is the “pin and pull” block to the outside zone.

(Image and GIF: NFL GameRewind)

Instead of having the guard block with a more difficult reach block to the outside shoulder of the defender to the playside, the tackle will “pin” that 4i-technique defender with a down-block while the guard will “pull” around kick out the outside linebacker.

(GIF: ESPN College GameDay)

In the above gif, you can easily see Garnett (left guard No. 51) with the “pull” portion of the block.

Where Garnett Needs to Improve

Garnett may have been the best run-blocking defender in the draft, but he was projected as a second or third rounder due to poor pass blocking grades.

(GIF: ESPN College GameDay)

Garnett ranked as the 16^th best guard in pass protection, according to the 2016 Pro Football Focus draft guide. He doesn’t always sustain his pass blocks, but he can be solid with his pass protection.

Overall, Garnett is a much needed upgrade to offensive which ranked 32nd last season in the run and pass, according to Football Outsiders DVOA. He’s a versatile lineman who gives Kelly the freedom to incorporate a more dynamic running game into the playbook, a running game truly designed to smash a defense from all angles.

In summary, Garnett is a “very bad man.”

Next: Is Colin Kaepernick The Right Fit for Chip Kelly's Offense?

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro Football Reference and Sports Reference unless otherwise indicated.