49ers: 5 players hurt most by lack of OTAs, minicamps
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: 49ers Offensive Lineman Colton McKivitz
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense is innovative, yet extremely complex to master. This isn’t anything new.
On top of that, offensive lines typically take time to jell with each other, and the Niners are going to undergo some serious adjustments up front after bidding farewell to left tackle Joe Staley and right guard Mike Person during the offseason.
One of San Francisco’s replacements was West Virginia offensive tackle Colton McKivitz, whom the 49ers selected in Round 5 of this year’s NFL Draft. McKivitz is expected to shift from the outside into the interior at the pro level, backing up a likely starting guard tandem of Laken Tomlinson and Daniel Brunskill this season, which is fine.
But when one removes rookie minicamps and OTAs from the equation, it’s not hard to see why McKivitz could potentially struggle early.
Not only is McKivitz switching positions, but he’s also being asked to master a complicated outside-zone blocking system that requires adequate field time to develop.
McKivitz isn’t getting that right now, which isn’t helpful for a player joining the pro ranks in an entirely different role than he had before.