3 reasons why 49ers offensive line is strongest position in 2021

While the 49ers have quality players at most of their positions, the offensive line has to be viewed as the strongest entering 2021, and here’s why.

When thinking about the San Francisco 49ers heading into 2021 and breaking down which units stand out the most, it’s easy to point out how George Kittle headlines the tight end room or how Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw headline a (hopefully) resurgent defensive line.

Linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are great, and the Niners are awfully deep at running back, too.

Yet San Francisco’s strongest position group heading into the upcoming season is actually the offensive line.

Kittle is essentially the lone major threat at tight end, while the 49ers have some serious pass-rushing depth questions behind Bosa. Equally true is the notion the Niners don’t exactly have quality depth behind Warner and Greenlaw either, while there are likely to be two rookies at running back who’ll assume substantial roles in 2021.

Simply put, many of San Francisco’s positional groups are pretty top-heavy when looking at the 90-man offseason roster, and there isn’t exactly a ton of proven depth at various positions of importance.

Meanwhile, the 49ers spent considerable effort revamping an O-line offseason that still finished ninth at the end of 2020, according to Pro Football Focus, despite a slew of injuries and revolving doors at multiple spots.

Interestingly enough, PFF kept the Niners O-line at No. 9 heading into 2021 despite some serious offseason shakeups, so perhaps the latest rankings are something of a lazy narrative of PFF’s part.

We’ll let you be the judge of that.

At any rate, here are three reasons why San Francisco’s O-line should be viewed as the team’s top unit entering 2021.