The San Francisco 49ers have long held a strategy that their offensive line doesn't require premium investment, at least not by using high capital in the NFL Draft. And in terms of spending cash, future Hall of Fame left tackle might be the only true example.
And that prompted former Niners cornerback Richard Sherman to express some serious concern with Week 1 just around the corner.
With San Francisco poised to take on a top Super Bowl contender in Australia right out of the gate, the Los Angeles Rams, who just reunited with future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald after he came out of retirement, there's reason to panic.
Tack on the offseason blockbuster trade for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, edge Myles Garrett, and Sherman's worries are bluntly on point.
Richard Sherman says the obvious part about 49ers' O-line problems
Speaking on his podcast, Sherman highlighted the lack of significant moves the 49ers made over the offseason regarding their O-line.
If anything, the cut-deadline deal for former Houston Texans offensive guard Jarrett Patterson was largely viewed as a scramble and little more.
Not only is that a pressing problem against Donald, Garrett and the Rams, but it'll also be an issue versus another NFC West rival, the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks.
"They didn’t strengthen it," Sherman said of the Niners O-line. "And now we’re a week away from the season, and they’re trading for interior offensive linemen because it’s an obvious place of concern. We knew that two years ago. That’s the part where I don’t really get it.
"You’re about to go against the most dynamic defensive lines in the league in L.A. and Seattle. Two of the most incredible D-lines in the league, and you’re just gonna say, 'Hey, we’ll figure it out as we go', against Aaron Donald, against Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Jarran Reed. That’s what you’re going to go with? That’s the plan?"
Sherman isn't wrong.
San Francisco used a Round 3 pick on right guard Dominick Puni back in 2024, but it hasn't used a first-rounder since selecting right tackle Mike McGlinchey in 2018. The 49ers' two drafted lineman from last April, Carver Willis and Enrique Cruz Jr., were both taken in the fifth round, and they're considered projects above anything else.
And the bulk of the Niners' other O-line moves were far more concentrated on the bottom end of the roster, not exactly aimed for upper-echelon starting-caliber players.
Considering San Francisco faces two legitimate Super Bowl threats in both the Rams and Hawks, Sherman has an absolute argument for highlighting the 49ers' neglect of their O-line.
If it truly becomes a problem, his concerns will be justified at the Niners' expense.
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