Few would have thought much of Ben Bartch last August, but the reserve offensive lineman might now be a figurehead in the 49ers' plans for 2025.
Last spring, when Niner Noise was exploring the entirety of the San Francisco 49ers' 90-man roster, backup offensive lineman Ben Bartch stood out as a potential dark-horse candidate to make the regular-season squad.
Toward the tail end of the regular season, Bartch is now a dark-horse candidate to be a potential starter for the Niners in 2025 and beyond.
The 26-year-old fourth-round 2020 NFL Draft choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars has caught some attention as of late, notably after entering San Francisco's Week 12 road game against the Green Bay Packers after starting left guard Aaron Banks went down with a concussion.
Then, a week later, Bartch got the start at left guard against the Buffalo Bills. While almost nothing went well for the 49ers in that particular contest, Bartch was one of the few bright spots.
If you're in doubt, check out this X/Twitter thread on Bartch by Brad Graham of TheSFNiners, and Graham has plenty of additional game-film reels on his profile to check out, all of which point out Bartch's solid efforts in Orchard Park.
Pro Football Focus subsequently rewarded the unheralded offensive lineman with a solid 78.4 game grade, third best from the Niners overall.
The highest-graded 49ers in Week 13 vs the Bills:
— PFF SF 49ers (@PFF_49ers) December 2, 2024
🥇 Dominick Puni - 89.3
🥈 Evan Anderson - 83.1
🥉 Ben Bartch - 78.4
🏅 Jauan Jennings - 77.0
🏅 Jaylon Moore - 76.1
(min. 25 snaps) pic.twitter.com/V8VFzBm1oQ
But there's more to suggest Bartch could be a name to watch over the remaining weeks and into the offseason.
Ben Bartch is trending toward inclusion in 49ers' long-term plans
Bartch justified head coach Kyle Shanahan's decision to name him the Week 13 starter over other longer-tenured San Francisco linemen, including Nick Zakelj and Spencer Burford, and that says a good deal.
True, it could merely be an indication the 49ers have no need to see anything more from Zakelj or Burford, but it's also a vote of confidence in Bartch, especially considering how high the stakes were for the Niners' dwindling playoff hopes entering Week 13.
With Banks poised to hit free agency this offseason, there's a likely need to find a long-term replacement.
But Bartch, too, is a pending free agent. However, it's not a difficult conclusion to suggest he would be significantly cheaper to re-sign in comparison to Banks, who has been San Francisco's regular starter since 2022.
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It's unclear when Banks will return from his injury, but Bartch has at least put himself squarely in the conversation of potential options to plug vital gaps in the offensive line in 2025, potentially beyond.
All the 49ers need to do is ensure he doesn't find a new home during the offseason.