The 49ers’ offensive line has been one of the biggest surprises on their roster this season, and the early returns have been hard to ignore. Through four games - including two against teams that reached last season’s NFC and AFC Championship Games - no one has managed to sack Brock Purdy.
That kind of protection marks a real step forward for a group that had been viewed as merely average, or worse, for the last few years. But even with the line playing its best football, the bigger roster question hasn’t gone away: who eventually replaces Trent Williams?
San Francisco has not made a habit of spending premium draft capital on offensive linemen under Kyle Shanahan. In 10 years with the 49ers, Shanahan has used only one Day 1 pick on the offensive line, and that ended up being a miss because Mike MCGlinchey was not elite and now plays for the Denver Broncos.
Beyond Williams, who was acquired in a trade from the Washington Redskins, now the Commanders, the rest of the line was built with lower-round picks. The 49ers drafted the other starters in the third, fifth and seventh rounds, while Jake Brendel arrived through free agency.
That approach drew backlash this year when the team passed on using a Day 1 pick to address the position, especially with Williams having already acknowledged he could retire after 2027. The current play of the unit may soften some of that criticism, but it does not erase the long-term concern around finding his successor.
Shanahan explained his thinking to NBC Sports Bay Area: “By no means do we go into it and say it’s just our philosophy not to take those guys early, but we just don’t take them to take them.
"One thing I noticed a lot in this league, I think a lot of people take Olinemen just to take them. It’s one of safest things to do.
"If you take an Olineman, very rarely are you gonna get questioned. Very rarely does it turn into busts, even if they’re just an average guy.
"A guy who’s in the first round and plays like a fourth round guy, but still plays like a starter, there’s not that much difference.
"It’s hard to find starters, first round, fourth round, whatever, but there’s not that much of a difference until you find like a Pro Bowl type dude.”
For all the progress up front, the 49ers still face the same reality: eventually, they have to find a left tackle who can step in when Williams is gone. That will be a major loss whenever it happens.
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49ers Are Rolling But Two Early Warning Signs Still Stand Out
The 49ers have opened 4-0 under Kyle Shanahan even while juggling significant injuries on both sides of the ball, and Brock Purdy has helped steady everything on offense. He leads the NFL in QBR and has not been sacked through four games, which has given San Francisco a clean, efficient starting point every week and helped keep the wins coming despite the attrition around him.
Still, the defense has not looked as airtight as the record suggests, especially up front and against the run. Injuries have thinned the pass rush, and the early-down issues in the ground game have been hard to ignore, leaving the 49ers with a couple of problems that could matter more once the schedule tightens and opponents start leaning into them. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Protection Faces Its Biggest Test Yet Against Seattle
Seattles defense is getting ready for a different kind of test in Week 5, with the Seahawks set to face the undefeated 49ers and Brock Purdy coming in without having taken a sack this season. For San Francisco, that protection has been a major part of the early success around its offense, and it sets up a familiar division matchup with an extra layer of urgency for the group up front.
Mike Macdonalds defense will try to be the first to break through, but the challenge is more than just finding the quarterback. Purdy has drawn attention for the way he operates the 49ers passing game, and Seattle knows it will need to disrupt both his timing and the rhythm of an offense that has stayed clean through the first month. How well the Seahawks can do that could go a long way toward shaping the tone of the game. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Have A Real Chance To Flip This Seahawks Matchup
The 49ers have spent the offseason reshaping the parts of the roster that can swing a divisional game, and the matchup with Seattle looks far different now than it did a year ago. San Franciscos receiver room has gained a bigger edge on paper, with the offense now built around more proven targets and a more balanced structure than the Seahawks are bringing into the game.
Seattles backfield situation only adds to the concern, because the room behind the starter has been thinned by injuries and departures. For a rivalry game that often comes down to who can stay on schedule and keep the quarterback comfortable, those missing pieces matter, and they help explain why San Francisco sees a real path to controlling the matchup if its own offense executes cleanly. [Read more 🡒]