5 players whose 49ers future will be decided over final four games
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Offensive Tackle Justin Skule
He might be a bit safer than a number of other players on this list. But rookie swing tackle Justin Skule is by no means guaranteed a roster spot in 2020.
The 49ers received an extended look at their 2019 sixth-round NFL Draft pick, thanks to extended injuries to veteran left tackle Joe Staley, as Skule ended up starting eight games over the course of the season so far. And Staley’s long-term tenure leaves open the question whether or not Skule could emerge as a potential starting candidate down the road.
But that’s without fellow swing tackle Daniel Brunskill in the mix.
Brunskill, San Francisco’s grab from the now-defunct AAF, has outperformed Skule for most of the season. Comparatively, Pro Football Focus has Brunskill graded at 77.0 overall over five starts, while Skule boasts a notably lower 62.3 overall grade.
And in Week 12, the Niners swapped out Skule for Brunskill against the Packers, suggesting the latter might be a bigger piece to San Francisco’s depth future.
It’s unclear whether or not the 49ers bring back injured swing tackle Shon Coleman this offseason, as he’s a pending free agent. Even if Coleman walks, Skule could find himself on the fringes of the depth chart, too, thanks largely to Brunskill’s emergence.