It's somewhat easy for casual San Francisco 49ers fans to criticize veteran center Jake Brendel as being a part of a relatively pedestrian offensive line aside from All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, but a core reality is that Brendel has played well above expectations.
The problem, however, is Brendel is well beyond the wrong side of 30 years old and will turn age 34 at the start of the season. He's also entering a contract year, and it's hard to say whether or not the Niners are entertaining a re-sign deal or extension.
If anything, they need to get younger. And getting younger could come in the form of an unheralded and overlooked developmental player who spent the first two years of his pro career on San Francisco's practice squad, Drake Nugent.
Nugent, who went undrafted in 2024 and subsequently signed with the 49ers, has yet to appear in a regular-season contest. But the former Michigan Wolverine had an impressive data sheet during his collegiate years, earning first-team All-Big-Ten honors from 2023 and was named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy—the award given to college football's best interior lineman.
Could the 6-foot-1, 300-pound Nugent be the Niners' secret plan to replace Brendel?
Drake Nugent must perform as 49ers' ideal Jake Brendel replacement
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has long preferred experience over promising youth at center, and nearly every offensive snapper has fit into this category, Brendel included.
Like Nugent, Brendel's journey toward being a full-time starter involved plenty of practice squad years, primarily as a journeyman before joining San Francisco in 2020.
Of course, it's not a greenlit path for Nugent to secure a job as Brendel's heir apparent. Rookie Carver Willis, who spent the bulk of his college career at tackle, is a potential long-term fit, and Shanahan could inevitably turn to a veteran free-agent pickup once Brendel's time comes to a close. Neither outcome would be shocking.
However, should Nugent do enough to impress during training camp and the preseason, it might be sufficient to secure a spot on the 53-man roster as a backup—a first for him in his three-year career.
And should that happen, there'd be enough reason to think of Nugent as a likely Brendel successor in 2027.
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