With the San Francisco 49ers at their bye week, it is a good time to look back at where the roster stands and what may happen moving forward. The 49ers’ offensive line may be the key to them making a run this season, so what does the group look like right now?
Trent Williams B+
Williams only gets a B+ because the bar for his level of play is the clear-cut best player in the NFL. He still may be the best left tackle in the NFL, but two or three down games, especially early in the season as he found his groove, have him with a strong grade, but not elite.
Ben Bartch D
The 49ers really get the D for trusting in Bartch to take on starting duties despite hardly getting significant starting work since 2022. Still, the expectation was for him to be the starting left guard, and that happened for 195 snaps, making him the third highest on the team. That is not living up to what was expected.
Connor Colby F
This is another one that could fall on the 49ers. They should not have asked Colby to come in as a seventh-round rookie and get starts that early into his career. He was not ready for it. Still, if we are grading his play, it was not good, and it is hard to see the team trusting him moving forward.
Spencer Burford C-
Burford spent the summer working as the backup left tackle, then got hurt. He came back, the team was desperate because of Colby struggling, and Burford slotted into left guard with just one week of practice after returning from the IR. The road has been bumpy, but he is the most trusted of Colby, Bartch and himself.
Blake Brendel C
The 49ers would probably get more value out of a center who could move a little bit quicker to the second level. Still, he is not a complete liability, and he has proven to be better than Matt Hennessy, who got a little bit of work earlier in the year.
Dominick Puni B-
If you graded Puni through the first seven weeks of the season, he would be trending towards a D. However, after one of his worst games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Puni seemed to have flipped a switch, got healthy, and he looks like the player we thought he could be.
Colton McKivitz B
McKivitz has his issues with speed rushers, but the 49ers have to be pleased with his progression, and they awarded him with a contract to show it.
