San Francisco 49ers: Is the offensive line the biggest need in 2018?

Niner Noise looks at the counter argument against the San Francisco 49ers putting top priority on their offensive line in 2018. Is it that big a priority for the Niners?

Yesterday, I pointed out why the San Francisco 49ers should use their first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, not on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, but rather trading down and landing the best offensive lineman available.

It’s not a popular opinion among the pro-Barkley crowd, and that’s fine. When the Niners are 0-9, any dynamic playmaker would be a welcomed addition.

But how good would Barkley be if he didn’t have a dominant offensive line in front of him?

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For the sake of argument, though, let’s explore if San Francisco’s O-line is as big as an issue I think it is. Consider it the counter take, if you will, assessing whether or not general manager John Lynch should direct his attention to this unit over the many others needing attention this offseason.

We shouldn’t have to argue about the O-line being both bad and decimated this year.

According to Football Outsiders, though, this group has shown improvement over 2016. A season ago, the Niners O-line ranked 30th in pass protection and dead last in run support. The 2017 rankings have jumped to 25th and 14th, respectively. So there have been changes for the better.

Still, it’s far from perfect.

Just take a look at how Pro Football Focus grades the O-line as it stands now:

Sure, this doesn’t account for the injury to left tackle Joe Staley (eye), but let’s add in our friend Al Sacco’s breakdown for good measure:

It doesn’t take too much to recognize there are two pressing problems — center (Daniel Kilgore) and left guard (Laken Tomlinson).

49ers’ O-Line Interior the Real Problem

As far as 2018 goes, we can probably cross off Staley and right tackle Trent Brown as positions needing to be upgraded. Staley, 34 years old in August, will eventually need a replacement. But that’s something the Niners could elect to solve down the road.

Right guard Brandon Fusco has been a decent option. To date, he’s allowed just two sacks and three quarterback hits, per PFF, and his 77.6 PFF grade is tied for the best along the entire O-line’s starting crop.

The problem is, though, he’s a free agent after this season. Based off what we’ve seen this year, re-signing him could just as easily remove a pressing need from San Francisco’s NFL Draft must-have list.

Kilgore is also a pending free agent. Based off the PFF numbers and the importance centers play in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, it’s a likelihood the Niners seek a serious upgrade at this particular spot.

Laken Tomlinson the Biggest Liability

Kilgore’s play has been problematic, although left guard Laken Tomlinson could easily be labeled as the most-pressing shortcoming.

James Brady over at Niners Nation had an excellent breakdown of Tomlinson’s efforts this season. It’s certainly not a ringing endorsement, and one has to wonder how good the O-line would have been with second-year pro Joshua Garnett (knee, IR) getting starting reps.

Garnett’s season-ending injury forced the 49ers to start Zane Beadles in Week 1 in addition to making the trade with the Detroit Lions for Tomlinson. Tomlinson is an upgrade over Beadles, sure, but not by much. Simply put, both players are bad, and the Niners are paying for the lack of depth.

Garnett remains an X-factor here. Assuming he comes back healthy, we’d like to believe he’ll be a major upgrade-type player. But former Niner Noise contributor and now-Niner Wire’s Rob Lowder sums up the situation with Garnett accurately:

Garnett’s rookie season wasn’t particularly impressive, and we have no clue how the 49ers’ new regime sees him as a fit.

Prioritizing the 49ers’ O-Line Needs

Let’s go ahead and assume San Francisco re-signs Fusco. He’s been serviceable enough, and it would likely be a cheaper option than exploring high-profile free agents, of which there are few.

A long-term replacement at offensive tackle would be nice, but it’s not on the list of must-haves at this point. The Niners should be comfortable with both Staley and Brown starting in 2018.

This leaves two interior spots with a question mark.

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Center is a pressing need, no doubt, and the other guard position is essentially a toss-up depending on how the front office views Garnett’s recovery and future fit/development. In a best-case scenario, Garnett returns better than ever and locks down the left spot for the next three years or so.

If that’s the case, only one spot remains on the list of needs — center. And there aren’t exactly a lot of centers worthy of first-round draft consideration.

The point of this is I see why fans may not feel pressed into going heavy on O-line needs so early in the NFL Draft. But it’s just as easy to counter that point with the argument the 49ers line has a number of variables and X-factors that won’t be figured out or addressed for quite some time.

Next: 2018 NFL Draft options to fix 49ers' offensive line

Regardless whether or not you think the Niners go O-line first in the draft, you can’t avoid admitting this unit is a problem.