5 underperforming 49ers who must play better after Week 6 bye
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers Right Guard Daniel Brunskill
The 49ers are paying the price for not adequately drafting or developing their second-round offensive guard, Aaron Banks, whose struggles in training camp and early in the preseason have translated into him being a full inactive over the first five weeks, leading to veteran lineman Daniel Brunskill to retain his hold on the starting right guard spot.
Brunskill is an interesting case. In a sense, he’s one of those players who’s excellent as a spot starter and can fill a number of roles. But in a full-time job, Brunskill regularly seems to be one of those players who warrants a search for a long-term upgrade.
As far as his 2021 efforts have gone, they haven’t been great. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey gets a lot of the slack for lowly pass-blocking efforts, yes. But Brunskill hasn’t exactly flashed here either, boasting a lowly 32.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, lowest among the Niners’ starting offensive linemen, with a team-high nine quarterback pressures allowed.
Again, the right side of San Francisco’s O-line has developed into a liability, and Banks’ slow/nonexistent ascent has forced Brunskill into a role he’s not quite adept at handling.
In all reality, unless some sweeping roster changes are made, nothing is likely to improve here anytime soon, so Brunskill will have to bring forth better efforts over the rest of the season for this group to improve overall.