49ers roster 2024: Colton McKivitz must prove he's not the weakest link

The 49ers remain committed to Colton McKivitz at right tackle, but that narrative could change if he has a bad 2024 campaign.

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, a popular conclusion among San Francisco 49ers fans and pundits alike was the team would use a top pick to find an upgrade over incumbent right tackle Colton McKivitz.

Well, the Niners didn't exactly do that.

True, San Francisco selected two offensive linemen on day three of the draft, Kansas' Dominick Puni and USC's Jarrett Kingston. But neither project as tackles, and both appear poised to be first-year backups instead of plug-and-play starters.

That tells us one of two things: The 49ers have much more faith in McKivitz than the common fan, and/or they're willing to bank on notable improvement from the 27-year-old former backup who only became a full-time starter a year ago.

Was Colton McKivitz that bad for the 49ers in 2023?

Without diving into the tape, which could take hours and encompass an entire series of articles on his performance, McKivitz's efforts over the course of 2023 were certainly a downgrade from his predecessor, now-Denver Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey.

Considering the massive free-agent deal McGlinchey received from Denver last offseason, though, it made sense for the Niners to go with the cheaper route.

It's not a perfect evaluator, but Pro Football Focus gave McKivitz a 65.1 overall grade, which is average, skewing in favor of his 68.1 run-blocking grade but downgraded by his 56.4 pass-blocking mark.

Those are slightly below-average figures, at least in terms of PFF's mean average, but McKivitz's nine sacks and 47 pressures allowed are indeed concerning.

That's probably where San Francisco is hoping for some noted improvement heading into 2024.

Colton McKivitz likely to be given one more season as 49ers' starter

Currently, according to Over the Cap, McKivitz is signed through 2026 on the extension he inked heading into 2024.

But there is no guaranteed money on his deal in 2025 unless he's on the roster by April 1 ($2.125 million), which is important to note.

Should McKivitz remain a liability on the right side of the 49ers offensive line, the team could cut bait with relative ease while searching for more likable options, either in free agency or via the 2025 draft.

That makes this upcoming season an important one, as McKivitz doesn't have much realistic competition for his starting job heading into training camp and seems poised to resume his duties as a starter.

For now, at least.

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