5 key 49ers are coming off serious injuries from 2022
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers offensive lineman Justin Skule
On the surface, it might not seem that significant for the Niners to get reserve offensive lineman Justin Skule back from the ACL tear he suffered last offseason, the one that forced him to miss all of 2021.
However, in the wake of losing swing tackle Tom Compton to free agency this offseason, San Francisco will eagerly see if it can identify a replacement.
Skule, the 49ers’ sixth-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, is right in the mix for this spot.
During mandatory minicamp, the Niners put Skule at tackle with both the first- and second-team units, suggesting they’re doing everything they can to work the former Vanderbilt lineman up to speed and get him ready to serve as a primary backup to starting tackles Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey.
True, San Francisco has some competition for Skule in the likes of Jaylon Moore, Colton McKivitz and Nick Zakelj, among others. Yet Skule might be the right combination of experience and capability out of the bunch, and he seems to be the favorite to earn this unheralded-yet-crucial job.