3 questions 49ers have to answer before 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: Identify the Contingency Plan for Joe Staley
It wasn’t the news 49ers fans wanted to hear. But when NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco suggested a “50-50 chance” veteran left tackle Joe Staley would retire this offseason, suddenly the offensive line became much more pressing a worry than it had been initially.
Unlike wide receiver, the 2020 NFL Draft doesn’t have a lot of top-quality options along the offensive line beyond the first two rounds or so. While there’s always a chance for a late-round gem to be found, Staley’s potential retirement opens up the door for San Francisco to consider someone like Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs or Louisville’s Mekhi Becton at No. 13 overall.
That’s one possibility. But before the Niners commit to using their first pick on a would-be Staley replacement, it’s necessary to evaluate and rank all the other options.
There are some names available on the free-agent market still, yes. But they’re either short-term fixes or would endanger San Francisco’s already limited resources in cap space.
Instead, the team’s on-roster options are a little more reasonable. Backup lineman Daniel Brunskill, who filled in for Staley and at other positions during various times last year, seems like a solid choice to handle an immediate need. But Brunskill could end up securing the starting right guard position this season, too, thereby opening up another void the 49ers would have to address.
Backup tackles Justin Skule and Shon Coleman are additional options as well.
The key question here is determining whether or not the 49ers are comfortable with any of the players currently on the roster being able to fill in for Staley, should he retire. And if so, deciding if punting on any O-line needs until 2021 would be the smarter route.