After a successful Thursday night preseason game, the San Francisco 49ers kept it rolling in the following practice. Many of the first- and second-stringers led the charge in what was a largely positive day.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner specifically noted how newly acquired Osa Odighizuwa was flying around the field. He constantly beat the opposing guard, regardless of who was responsible for blanketing him. His dominance might come with an unfortunate caveat, though, as the 49ers are now faced with an excruciating situation.
While Odighizuwa looked great, he inadvertently exposed a gaping hole in the offensive line. The 49ers seemed to have known this ahead of time, as they added 2026 fourth-round pick Carver Willis to the left guard competition, a positional battle that tackle Trent Williams called "a three-man race." Willis ran with the first unit, but he, just like the others, was repeteadly embarrassed at the hands of Odighizuwa.
In short, he failed to fix the problem.
49ers are presented with a glaring problem with no visible solution
The hole at left might be a continuation of last year's issue. Last season, the 49ers ranked 23rd in rush yards per game, which is especially unimpressive considering they finished 12-5 and enjoyed many positive game scripts. Given that Christian McCaffrey is one of the better running backs in the league (even without his pass-catching ability), it was one of GM John Lynch's many jobs to bolster the protection in front of CMC and Brock Purdy.
Apparently, his efforts did nothing to move the needle.
Last year, Odighizuwa ranked slightly above average by PFF's standards, though he was far from a premier interior lineman. If the former Cowboy is already wreaking havoc on San Francisco's guards, it does not bode well for the red and gold when they inevitably face some of the league's best defensive tackles. Purdy has excelled at evading pressure in his career, but even he could find himself running for his life.
In Wagoner's practice notes, he also mentioned that the Niners' starting LG might not currently be on the roster, which is a sobering thought. If the new Carver Willis experiment continues to go south, then Lynch may have no choice but to check back into the free agent market. Joel Bonito, Kevin Zeitler, and others still await a suitor.
Hopefully somebody can step up before the lights come on in September, but the 49ers, as well as the rest of the league, have no doubts about their O-line troubles, and it is all thanks to Osa Odighizuwa.
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