49ers training camp 2018: 3 questions yet to be answered

Who will win the starting job at right guard?

Surprisingly, the 49ers didn’t make significant moves at guard over the offseason, despite the team’s subpar play at the position last season. Lynch and Shanahan did upgrade the center position with the addition of Weston Richburg, in an attempt to shore up the team’s interior offensive line.

The 49ers’ brass also signed left guard Laken Tomlinson to a three-year extension, but allowed starting right guard Brandon Fusco — arguably the better of the two last season — to walk in free agency:

With an open starting spot to fill, Lynch and Shanahan signed former Dallas Cowboys guard Jonathan Cooper to a one-year deal, and added offensive lineman Mike Person — who started his career in San Francisco, and played for Shanahan in 2015 during their shared time with the Atlanta Falcons — to a cheaper one-year contract.

The 49ers also have guard Joshua Garnett, who missed the entire 2017 season due to injury, and second-year offensive lineman Erik Magnuson, who is more likely to make the roster in a reserve role.

While Cooper is the most established player at the position, he is still waiting for his chance to compete for the starting job. Cooper began training camp on the team’s Physically Unable to Perform list as the lineman continues to rehab from offseason knee surgery.

So far in training camp, Garnett and Person have split reps at starting right guard, although Garnett was given the first opportunity on Thursday. Meanwhile, the 49ers have played Magnuson at center with the second-string team, as the coaching staff continues to assess the versatile lineman’s ability to play each position on the offensive line.

Prediction

Even after his year-long body transformation, it will be a challenge for Garnett to beat out a healthy Cooper for the starting job, and Person is better suited for a backup interior lineman role, thanks to his extensive experience at center.

Once Cooper returns to practice, he will get extended time at right guard with the 49ers’ first-string offensive line, and should win the starting job once he’s healthy enough to play.

With just four practices down, and the rest of training camp and the preseason to go, the San Francisco 49ers still have questions to answer prior to Week 1 of the regular season.