SF 49ers: Predicting Week 1 depth chart after final roster cuts
By Peter Panacy
SF 49ers Offensive Line
Center: Daniel Brunskill, Ben Garland
Left Guard: Laken Tomlinson, Colton McKivitz
Left Tackle: Trent Williams, Justin Skule
Right Guard: Tom Compton
Right Tackle: Mike McGlinchey
Kyle Shanahan’s offensive line perhaps has the most question marks heading towards Week 1, and those stem from injury.
San Francisco will start the year with its starting center, Weston Richburg, on the PUP list as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon suffered last year. He’ll be out for the first six weeks, which would have initially meant backup lineman Ben Garland would start in his place. But Garland also suffered an ankle sprain during training camp.
Garland not being placed on an injury list suggests he’s ready to go, but it seems a bit more likely Shanahan keeps Garland is a reserve role for at least a week while letting the versatile Daniel Brunskill shift over from right guard to center.
This’ll open up the right guard spot for the veteran, Tom Compton, although Compton’s efforts in camp weren’t particularly impressive. He likely made the roster based on attrition alone, and starting him appears to be a risk the 49ers have to accept for now.
The other three spots — left tackle, left guard and right tackle — need no concern, as the starters there are easily entrenched and more than serviceable.