49ers depth chart: 5 players who won’t be on the roster in Week 1
By Peter Panacy
No. 2: 49ers Offensive Guard Tom Compton
Honestly, it was a bit of a shock the Niners re-signed veteran offensive guard Tom Compton last year after he failed to prove he could even be a plug-in reserve lineman in 2020 amid all the injuries the team dealt with up front.
The re-sign deal, which includes zero in guaranteed money, was announced the day before the NFL Draft started and two days before San Francisco selected Notre Dame guard Aaron Banks in Round 2, then followed by the fifth-round addition of Western Michigan lineman Jaylon Moore.
Perhaps, at least from that vantage point, grabbing Compton again makes sense. But he’s already behind the curve in regards to a long-term fit with the two rookies, and the 49ers are also likely to retain depth linemen Daniel Brunskill and Colton McKivitz over Compton, too.
If there’s a bonus, teams typically keep three units of O-linemen during training camp, and one might figure Compton’s veteran status makes him a favorite to start with the second-string unit.
Yet it shouldn’t be too hard for players like Moore and McKivitz to overtake Compton by the end of summer, thereby completely pushing the latter off the Week 1 roster.