3 players 49ers should be concerned about entering 2021

No. 1: 49ers Offensive Guard Aaron Banks

As was seen with Javon Kinlaw, high-profile rookies don’t always enter the league with a bang and can take a year or two to fully hit their stride.

That said, a first- or second-round pick is generally expected to contribute sooner than later, and there’s already enough buzz out there the Niners’ Round 2 pick from this year’s draft, former Notre Dame offensive guard Aaron Banks, is falling behind in his development.

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Banks, known for his prolific collegiate pass protection, wasn’t viewed as a natural zone-style lineman who’d immediately jell with head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system. That said, Banks was given opportunities to earn the starting right guard spot over the returning veteran, Daniel Brunskill.

Only Banks did relatively little to help himself win this training camp battle.

To make matters worse, Banks suffered a shoulder injury early during San Francisco’s first preseason game, and that setback is expected to keep the rookie out for the remainder of the exhibition period, all but ensuring he won’t be starting over Brunskill anytime soon.

So far, Banks is looking like the biggest early disappointment from the 49ers’ 2021 draft class. And while it’s still far too soon to worry about him not having any sizable impact whatsoever, opening up some concerns is still warranted.