4 49ers Who Could Possibly Struggle Under Chip Kelly

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November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Erik Pears (71) at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers defeated the Falcons 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF THE OFFENSIVE LINE – THE RIGHT TACKLES ERIK PEARS AND TRENT BROWN

After much thinking about it, I’ve decided to include the entire right side of the offensive line as the weakest link for the 49ers.

Last season the 49ers suffered from some of the worst offensive line play in recent memory, finishing 32nd in run blocking and 31st in pass protection, per Football Outsiders. The strength of the offensive line was the left side anchored by Alex Boone and Joe Staley. However, the right side was a virtual swinging door of players as the 49ers desperately tried to find the right combination of players to shore up that part of the line.

At the start of organized team activities (OTAs), Erik Pears and Brandon Thomas were penciled in as the right tackle and right guard, respectively, but by the end of minicamp, Trent Brown and Andrew Tiller were taking first team reps.

ERIK PEARS

Pears was ranked as the 73rd best guard, per the Pro Football Focus player grades. To be honest, 73 is sort of high for a right tackle, whom opposing defense routinely put on skates.

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TRENT BROWN

Brown finished the season as the starter right tackle and looked mostly competent in the process, which is not saying much about the guy he replaced.

Physically, Brown (6-foot–8, 355 pounds) does not fit the profile of a Kelly offensive lineman. The linemen who were on the Eagles’ season-opening roster during each of his three seasons in Philadelphia, per Ourlads.com’s archived depth charts, averaged about 306 pounds.

Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Trent Brown (77) defends against Houston Texans defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey (91) in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Kelly’s zone-based scheme, combined with the up-tempo pace, puts a premium on athleticism for offensive lineman. And unsurprisingly, Brown ranked among the worst linemen athletically at his respective position, according to the data from MockDraftable.com:

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Brown frequently struggled in the zone-blocking scheme, struggling to get to his zone and and tripping over his own feet. Brown also struggled with conditioning last year and this year during OTAs and minicamp.

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Next: Right Side of the O-Line -- Guard