49ers vs. Chiefs: Top 5 things to watch for in preseason, Week 1
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: How Big a Weakness Is the 49ers Offensive Line?
San Francisco’s offensive line remains a unit in flux. And that’s not a good thing, considering O-lines take time to jell.
More from Niner Noise
- 49ers 2023 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick news and analysis
- Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
- DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet
- 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
- 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
The Niners will already be without second-year guard Joshua Garnett (knee) for the foreseeable future, and all sorts of questions remain outside of veteran left tackle Joe Staley.
The 49ers defensive line made easy work out of O-linemen Trent Brown and Brandon Fusco on day nine of practice, per Niners Wire’s Rob Lowder, and both pass protection and run blocking have been something of a constant issue for the guys up front.
If there is good news, it’s the fact this preseason bout should give a chance for players to test their skills against guys not necessarily familiar with apparent weaknesses.
Better yet, we could get a clearer indication which players may wind up in the starting alignment and which are better in reserve roles.
Still, signs aren’t pointing to this unit being a solid force this season.