49ers training camp 2020: 5 most important position battles to watch
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Daniel Brunskill or Tom Compton at right guard?
There are a multitude of reasons why the Niners moved on from veteran right guard Mike Person after he served as a two-year starter during 2018 and 2019, certainly including him being manhandled by the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones in Super Bowl LIV.
Once Person was gone, San Francisco almost immediately inked former New York Jets guard Tom Compton as a potential replacement. Compton served under Kyle Shanahan back in 2016 with the Atlanta Falcons, so getting someone who has familiarity with the head coach’s system makes sense.
On the surface, though, it would appear the favorite to start would be last year’s unsung hero, the versatile Daniel Brunskill, who did more than just adequately back up Person as well as both tackle spots to the tune of seven regular-season starts last year.
Brunskill’s efforts translated into a notable 73.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2019, and it’ll be interesting to see whether or not that’s a mere anomaly or a sign of things to come.
Considering the importance of interior pass protection, understanding the significance of this training camp battle would be a mistake. It’s going to be vital for San Francisco to get the best possible option at right guard in 2020.