Signing Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere won't move the needle much for the 49ers. But at least it won't hurt matters either.
The San Francisco 49ers didn't do much to address their offensive line during free agency or the NFL Draft, which was a bit of a shocker after losing starting left guard Aaron Banks and swing tackle Jaylon Moore to the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, respectively.
In fact, the only draft move the Niners made to infuse some youth into the O-line was using a seventh-round pick on former Iowa guard Connor Colby, who'll have a long road ahead of him as he tries to make the 53-man roster in year one.
That said, San Francisco seems to know it needs help up front, and it quickly grabbed veteran Pro Bowl offensive tackle D.J. Humphries not long after the draft concluded, and he'll be tasked with backing up the two bookend starters, Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz.
There needed to be more, though.
49ers sign 2 NFL Draft busts to beef up O-line
The 49ers will need a full crop of offensive linemen throughout the offseason, manning the first-, second-, third- and even fourth-string groups during practices.
On a day full of transactions that included waiving their top pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, defensive end Drake Jackson, the Niners quietly announced signing offensive lineman Andre Dillard, a 2019 first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles who spent four years there before consecutive years with the Tennessee Titans and Packers in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The 29-year-old Dillard never turned into a true starter, starting just 19 games over his six-year career.
For a Round 1 draft choice, it's hard to admit anything but a bust, although something has to be said about at least hanging around the league after his original rookie contract with Philly expired.
Offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, a former third-round draftee for the Tennessee Titans back in 2022, is arguably less of a bust, considering his draft position, and one could suggest he's had the more successful career, emerging as a full-time starter at right tackle his rookie season before starting 10 games in 2024.
Whether or not either player has a shot at contending for a starting job with San Francisco is anyone's guess, but a magic 8-ball would probably answer "no."