Why Trenton Brown Should be the 49ers’ Starting Right Tackle in 2016

The battle for the San Francisco 49ers’ starting right tackle spot appears to be an open one going into training camp but it is second-year player Trenton Brown who should win the job.

Right tackle is one of the biggest question marks for the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2016 season, with a quartet of unheralded players seemingly battling for the spot.

The comeback, which retired Anthony Davis has long since promised, has not materialised, leaving Erik Pears, Trenton Brown and rookies Fahn Cooper and John Theus as the four main candidates to fill the role.

Pears endured a dreadful year in his maiden season with the 49ers while playing predominantly at right tackle, serving as one of the weak spots on a San Francisco offensive line that gave up 53 sacks last season, ranking at No. 31 in the NFL in pass protection, according to Football Outsiders.

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Things seemed to improve late in the season when rookie Trenton Brown was forced into action due to injury, putting together a pair of promising performances in his first two NFL starts.

He may only have those two starts to his name, and Brown has again been dogged by concerns over his conditioning this offseason, but here we look at why the mammoth second-year tackle is the best option to start on the right-hand side of the O-line.

Before we dive into evaluating Brown, though, let’s look at the alternatives who he will be competing with in training camp and preseason.

Erik Pears

Pears was signed primarily to be a backup swing tackle ahead of the 2015 season, but Davis’ decision to leave the team pressed him into service and, in short, it was an ugly year for the former Buffalo Bill.

He gave up 10 sacks, four quarterback hits and 37 hurries — per Pro Football Focus — and it was only Marcus Martin and Jordan Devey that prevented him from being the worst player on the offensive line.

Pears appeared far more comfortable at guard late in the season, but the fact Davis has not returned at least has him in the conversation to start at right tackle once more, and that should worry 49ers fans.

While Pears is able to do his job relatively well in pass protection when he locks on to his target, what stops him from being a dependable tackle is that he lacks the physical traits and the talent to be able to get to his assignment consistently.

Speed rushers cause Pears nightmares off the edge, due to his poor athleticism and inconsistent footwork.

Too many defenders were able to blow by Pears, who — for a man of 6-foot-8 and 316 pounds — can be surprisingly easily moved backwards by power-rush moves.

Pears is somewhat better in the run game, but even there is still slow to get to his assignments and suffers from poor balance, leading him to fall forward on a number of occasions.

The only thing keeping Pears in the conversation is his experience, but that experience should count for nothing when you consider the risk of putting him out there at right tackle again.

John Theus

Having served as a dependable player at both right and left tackle for Georgia in the SEC, seen by many as the toughest conference in college football, it is fair to have confidence Theus can make the leap to the NFL.

Theus was a freshman All-American in 2012 and an Honorable Mention All-SEC in 2014 and proved himself to be largely solid in pass protection.

He possesses slick footwork, with little wasted movement and is generally able to control opponents when he locks onto his targets.

Where he struggles, though, is in the run game. Theus can seal the edge and is athletic enough to take on defenders at the next level but rarely appears to have the power to move opponents and, like Pears, has issues with his balance when run blocking.

The tape also shows an apparent lack of aggression in Theus’ game, something that is not an issue with the other rookie offensive tackle the Niners took in the fifth round.

Fahn Cooper

Although he was largely overshadowed by linemate Laremy Tunsil during his time at Ole Miss, Cooper carved out a highly respectable career with the Rebels.

Cooper filled in for Tunsil at left tackle when the now-Miami Dolphin was suspended for the first seven games of last season, and Cooper’s versatility to play at both tackle spots will have been part of his appeal to the Niners.

But what stands out on film when watching Cooper is his aggression. He is a gritty player who seems to relish hand fighting with defenders, relying heavily on short, sharp punches to help him win matchups.

Deficiencies in his hand placement mean Cooper doesn’t always come out on top, while below average athletic traits lead him to have difficulties against the quicker edge-rushers.

Cooper is ineffective in space in the run game, where he appears to lurch towards the next level without much of a plan and also has issues with his pad level.

Picking between Cooper and Theus is a choice between a hard-nosed lineman and a more-refined blocker, however, both have deficiencies that make them unappealing rookie starts. Brown, for all his fitness issues, is the safe option.

So why exactly is Brown the best bet? The short answer is that, while his huge size — Brown’s official measurements have him at 6-foot-8 and 355 pounds — and below-average athleticism lead him to have difficulties with the quicker pass rushers, he excels at a number of things Pears, Theus and Cooper struggle with.

The former Florida Gator shows impressive set-up quickness off the snap, which allows him to negate some of his issues against speed rushers and possesses surprisingly neat footwork to help him get in the best position to protect the quarterback from his opposing defender.

Brown was able to hold his own against Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions, who had 14.5 sacks last season, in his first start, keeping him at bay with ease in the below play:

Unsurprisingly, given his massive frame, Brown holds up well against power rush moves and appears to have a good understanding of how to use his hands — able to keep pass-rushers blocked with sharp punches and by extending his arms and locking on.

As alluded to earlier, Brown has difficulties against the more athletic pass-rushers, with those capable of making quick inside moves causing him particular problems.

But where Brown really struggles is in the run game.

Brown excels on double-teams when run blocking, he and Pears — playing at right guard — did a good job in the season finale in teaming up on Aaron Donald, yet he suffers from many of the same deficiencies as his rivals for the right tackle spot in that aspect of his game.

Issues with balance also plague Brown once he is out in space and he is another who often seems to approach run blocking without a plan of attack.

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The biggest criticism surrounding Brown’s play in the ground game is unsurprisingly his athletic issues, which lead him to sometimes fail to reach his target in time.

When he does get to his assignment Brown regularly has problems finishing his blocks, but, for all the doubts over his athleticism, there were instances last year when he got to the next level and was able to clear a path in the run game.

Take this play against the Rams, where he and Pears double Chris Long. Brown then has the vision to move on from that assignment and switch his attention to James Laurinaitis, springing Mike Davis for a double-digit gain in the process:

Those blocks take place in close quarters but Brown has also displayed some ability to get out in space, as in this play from the same game, which also lays bare one of his key failings.

Brown gets out into the open field, yet he does not finish his block, instead only serving to push Lamarcus Joyner into DuJuan Harris and effectively help the Rams defensive back shove the 49ers running back out of bounds:

Although he does not finish on this play, there should be encouragement that Brown does have what it takes to make a difference as a blocker in space. However, it will all count for nothing if the conditioning problems continue.

Brown has reportedly struggled significantly in keeping up with new head coach Chip Kelly’s fast-paced offensive system, so much so that some have indicated he may not make the roster.

That would be a huge shame for a player of Brown’s obvious talents. There are other concerns he needs to work on but, providing he can overcome his fitness issues, Brown should be the clear favorite to start and hopefully help bring some continuity and solidity in pass protection to an offensive line in desperate need of those qualities.

Next: Breaking Down San Francisco 49ers Tight End Position in Advance of 2016 Season

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