Niner Noise
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NFL free agency: Ranking 49ers’ top 5 targets for 2018

By Aaron Tan

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 12: Kyle Fuller #23 of the Chicago Bears knocks the ball away from Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 12, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 12: Kyle Fuller #23 of the Chicago Bears knocks the ball away from Julio Jones #11 of the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 12, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 26: Andrew Norwell #68 of the Carolina Panthers in action against the New York Jets during their game at MetLife Stadium on November 26, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 26: Andrew Norwell #68 of the Carolina Panthers in action against the New York Jets during their game at MetLife Stadium on November 26, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Offensive Guard Andrew Norwell

I’m going to keep this one simple and short. The 49ers badly need a guard.

Let’s take a look at the team’s current guards:

San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

Zane Beadles? Not good enough to be a starting NFL player. I’m sorry, Zane, you seem like a good guy, but I think you should retire based on your level of play this past season.

Laken Tomlinson? A first-round bust drafted by the Lions. He took over Beadles’ job starting from Week 2 but was not much better. He was a liability in the run and pass game.

Brandon Fusco? He’s actually been solid this year, as the 49ers’ starting right guard, but is set to become a free agent and is on the wrong side of his 20s.

Joshua Garnett? I’m very skeptical about Garnett because he struggled in his rookie season and had to go on injured reserve this year with an injured knee. I don’t know how he well he will play after coming back from knee surgery. I think that Lynch will try to trade him to another team in need of a guard, especially since he was brought in by former Niners GM Trent Baalke. I’m sorry, Josh. I know you’re in my profile picture but I gotta put you on this list.

Okay, rant over. The point is that none of the 49ers’ guards are that good. But you look at Andrew Norwell of the Carolina Panthers, a 26-year-old player ranked the No. 3 guard in the league by Pro Football Focus, and what do you see?

An answer to the 49ers’ offensive line problems.