5 49ers players who have surprised the most in 2019 so far
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Offensive Tackle Justin Skule
Two injuries along the offensive line put the 49ers in quite the bind, left tackle Joe Staley suffering a broken leg and swing tackle Shon Coleman suffering a serious ankle injury during the preseason.
This forced San Francisco to go with its rookie, Justin Skule, who was the No. 2 option behind Coleman on the initial depth chart before Coleman’s injury.
Skule, the Niners’ final pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, wasn’t viewed as overly effective or flashy. Over his first three starts, though, he’s been effective enough not to warrant excessive concern.
Yes, he was flagged with three penalties against the Pittsburgh Steelers during his first start. And his six pressures allowed ranks third among San Francisco’s offensive linemen so far.
On the positive side, though, Skule has been credited with just one sack allowed, and that came against All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. Outside of this particular incident, Skule’s name has almost never been called.
That’s good for an offensive lineman.
Staley will return soon, meaning Skule could relieve fill-in right tackle Daniel Brunskill, who’s filling in for also-injured tackle Mike McGlinchey.
And the early results suggest that won’t be too problematic.