49ers news: What’s the plan for OL Daniel Brunskill in 2021?

The 49ers weren’t intending to use versatile O-lineman Daniel Brunskill at center in 2020, but his 2021 role still isn’t totally clear.

In 2019, San Francisco 49ers reserve offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill showed enough to warrant serious consideration to be the team’s starting right guard in 2020.

Initially in training camp, that was the plan. Brunskill was to battle it out with then-newly signed backup lineman Tom Compton, while the rest of the Niners O-line was all but set.

Except for all those injuries at center, which plagued San Francisco throughout the season and forced Brunskill into a quasi-emergency starter in the wake of season-ending injuries to Weston Richburg and Ben Garland.

As such, the former Alliance of American Football lineman had nearly equal splits between right guard and center — 547 and 558, respectively. And considering Brunskill spent part of his 2019 campaign filling at both offensive tackle spots, one can figure his role for 2021 remains uncertain.

Particularly in line with what the 49ers will or won’t do with other players along the line.

An exclusive-rights free agent this offseason, Brunskill can’t negotiate with any other team but the Niners, and his versatility alone is a reason why he’ll be back. Simply stated, don’t worry about his free-agent status.

Yet San Francisco could lose Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams to free agency this offseason, while Richburg could be a cap casualty. Meanwhile, right guard was also a bit of a rotating door last year in the wake of Brunskill moving to center.

Granted, Brunskill wasn’t overly effective manning the center of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive line. In total, Brunskill’s overall Pro Football Focus grade last year was a so-so 61.7, which stood in contrast to the impressive 73.0 mark he enjoyed the year prior. And it was pretty evident Brunskill had difficulties managing the snap while also trying to execute interior blocking, ultimately leading to four sacks allowed and 31 quarterback pressures credited to him.

Even for a player who seemingly came out of nowhere in 2019, there are some noticeably apparent weaknesses.

49ers should focus on Daniel Brunskill at right guard only

It’s good Brunskill can play a multitude of positions along the O-line. That’s valuable. And especially considering Brunskill is going to return on the cheap.

It’s also a good thing the 2021 NFL Draft is laden with talented offensive linemen. That might be the preferred route for the 49ers to take if Williams ultimately departs via free agency this offseason, which would also free up Brunskill to focus almost solely on the interior heading towards training camp.

Plus, the return of swing tackle Shon Coleman from a 2020 opt-out should alleviate some pressure on Brunskill wondering about his future as a backup tackle.

Yet the unknown future at center creates some concern here. If Richburg winds up being a cap casualty, the void is still there. Reserve center Ben Garland is also an unrestricted free agent. And while there are always other possibilities to fill the void, either through free agency or the draft, it would be wise for the Niners to no longer consider Brunskill a viable option here aside from a last-ditch emergency plan like he was a year ago.

Hopefully, by shifting Brunskill’s focus to one, perhaps two spots along the O-line, San Francisco will ultimately receive better results from one of its unsung performers entering 2021.