Niner Noise
FanSided

10 Reasons to be Excited, Worried about the San Francisco 49ers in 2017

By Peter Panacy

Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to the media between general manager John Lynch and chief executive officer Jed York during a press conference at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 11
Next
Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley (74) warms up with guard Joshua Garnett (65) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley (74) warms up with guard Joshua Garnett (65) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /

Worry: The Offensive Line Is Still a Problem

Was the 2016 49ers offensive line better than it was a year prior? Absolutely. Was this same unit great, even good? No.

According to Football Outsiders, San Francisco’s O-line ranked 30th in pass protection last year and dead last in run support. And it’s a unit remaining largely unchanged from a season ago.

True, the 49ers brought in Pro Bowl center Jeremy Zuttah via a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. But he’ll compete with, and possibly replace, the Niners’ second-best lineman, Daniel Kilgore, whose major knock is his injury history.

Left tackle Joe Staley is getting older. Left guard Zane Beadles isn’t particularly great. Second-year pro Joshua Garnett had a disappointing rookie season at right guard last year. And right tackle Trent Brown isn’t an ideal fit for head coach Kyle Shanahan’s outside-zone scheme.

Depth could be an issue too. Sure, the loser of the Zuttah-Kilgore competition could bump someone off the guard starting block. Or the same loser winds up being an interior backup.

But, right now, San Francisco’s swing tackle is John Theus. He’s not good.

And it isn’t as if the NFL Draft will provide enough answers. This year’s linemen class isn’t particularly promising or deep.