The San Francisco 49ers are entering the offseason in a unique position for the franchise, as they\u2019ll be picking at No. 11 in the 2025 NFL Draft, their highest selection since taking quarterback Trey Lance with the No. 3 pick in 2021.<\/p>\n
As they look ahead to the offseason, the 49ers will look to fill a number of holes on both sides of the ball, and some of those could come up front with the offensive line.<\/p>\n
San Francisco has made a number of investments in the position, initially trading for Trent Williams before drafting Aaron Banks in the second round back in 2021 and taking Dominick Puni in the third round last offseason.<\/p>\n
But, they could have a few holes at the position this offseason, as Banks is scheduled to be a free agent, while other spots could be up for grabs.<\/p>\n
What are the biggest needs for the 49ers along the offensive line?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with Banks. San Francisco made a big investment when taking him in the second round, and that came with up and down results. Banks had a solid first year starting, but has seemingly plateaued over the past two seasons and seems primed for a contract that the 49ers won\u2019t be willing to pay in free agency. That means the 49ers could have an opening at left guard to address.<\/p>\n
But, his spot isn\u2019t the only one that should be in flux. Center Jake Brendel has been underwhelming over the past two years since signing a four-year, $20 million extension, which came after his first year starting.<\/p>\n
Given how important the position is in head coach Kyle Shanahan\u2019s offense, adding competition at the position this offseason would make sense, particularly from a veteran\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n
Then comes the tackle spot where the 49ers have left tackle Trent Williams continuing to get older and moving closer to retirement. Williams plays one of the toughest positions in football and San Francisco will need to make a major investment when getting his replacement.<\/p>\n
They could be in a prime position to do so this offseason with their first-round pick, which sits in the top half of the first round. While the offensive tackle class isn\u2019t considered very top-heavy, there should be some quality options in play at No. 11, with Texas\u2019s Kelvin Banks, LSU\u2019s Will Campbell, and Minnesota\u2019s Aireontae Ersery projected as the top prospects.<\/p>\n
When ranking the needs, that could depend on how the board falls in the 2025 NFL Draft, as San Francisco usually hasn\u2019t made a major investment in the position in free agency, where teams tend to overpay for offensive linemen.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the team could look to some of their reserves, such as Ben Bartch and Nick Zakelj, to fill some of those holes as cheaper options, which could change the outlook of their approach for the line this offseason.<\/p>\n
So, looking at the team\u2019s projection along the offensive line, it seems like San Francisco has two pressing needs at left guard and center, but also some long-term needs at tackle, with right guard Dominick Puni seeming like the lone cornerstone for the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
San Francisco could have multiple new starters along the offensive line in 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":29641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n