Ranking 49ers 3 weakest positions after 2022 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
49ers weak position No. 2: Offensive line
Key additions in 2022: Spencer Burford*, Jason Poe*, Dohnovan West*, Nick Zakelj*
* denotes rookie
The 49ers offensive line could go one of two different directions in 2022. It could either be pretty good or awfully bad, largely dependent on how healthy and incumbent this unit remains from last season.
The Niners already lost Pro Bowl left guard Laken Tomlinson to the New York Jets in free agency, and they’re now hoping second-year pro Aaron Banks can step into the fray after seeing just five offensive snaps a year ago.
Hopefully, at least from San Francisco’s vantage point, that’s the only change. Left tackle Trent Williams is a mainstay, and the hope is for right tackle Mike McGlinchey to be 100 percent in time for training camp after tearing his quad halfway through last season. And it isn’t as if right guard Daniel Brunskill is horrible either.
However, Pro Bowl center Alex Mack is on the verge of retirement, be it this season or next, meaning the team’s contingency plans have to be in place now.
Perhaps that explains why the 49ers threw a number of resources at the O-line, including two draft picks in Spencer Burford and Nick Zakelj, while also adding two high-profile UDFAs in Dohnovan West and Jason Poe.
Maybe one or two of those additions pan out nicely. Perhaps more or none.
Either way, there are a lot of question marks and concerns here.