3 under-the-radar 49ers who could make an impact in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: 49ers Offensive Lineman Daniel Brunskill
There was no shortage of pleasant surprises for San Francisco last season, but one of the nicer and less-expected ones was watching former Alliance of American Football offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill go from a fringe roster addition heading into training camp into a worthy and serviceable backup over the course of the regular season.
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Seriously, few could have ever predicted that.
In total, Brunskill appeared in 14 games, split between right guard and both tackles, started seven of them and was on the field for 476 offensive snaps, totaling 44.8 percent. Pro Football Focus recognized the former undrafted free agent with an excellent 73. overall grade on the year, too, which is pretty spectacular for a player with few expectations assuming a significant role.
That role will probably get even bigger in 2020, as Brunskill appears to have the inside track to land the starting right guard job after the Niners bade farewell to their former starting guard, Mike Person, during the offseason.
Next. Undrafted players with best chances to make 49ers' 53-man roster. dark
Brunskill has some competition, yes, namely veteran guard Tom Compton. Yet the former could wind up being yet another one of those hidden-gem players who seemingly come out of nowhere en route to landing a key role and making a sizable impact in the process.