The 49ers’ left guard situation still doesn’t feel settled, even after Week 1.
Connor Colby opened the season in the spot, and he played every snap. But the preseason battle never really ended in a clean verdict, because Carver Willis had finished camp working with the starters. That alone left the door open for more shuffling, and Week 1 did little to slam it shut.
There were reasons to hold Willis out of the opener. The fourth-round rookie was making his NFL debut, he came into the league as a left tackle at Washington, and he was being asked to learn a new position. Add in the setting - a game in a foreign country against a strong defensive line - and it made plenty of sense for San Francisco to ease him in rather than throw him straight into the fire.
But Colby didn’t exactly seize the moment, either. He finished with a 59.5 grade per PFF, gave up two pressures, and was a problem in both the run game and pass protection. It was the kind of outing that doesn’t exactly strengthen a hold on a starting job.
Looking back to last season, that performance would have been the fifth-worst start of his career. He had three games last year that graded better, and he still ended up on the bench. So even though the 49ers seem comfortable starting him for now, this wasn’t the kind of showing that builds confidence.
The bigger picture remains the same: San Francisco appears to be fine with Colby in the lineup in the short term, but not as a long-term answer. The team would still like to find someone who can overtake him, and Willis looks like the best option currently on the roster.
The upcoming schedule gives the 49ers a window to keep working through it. Now that they’re back from Australia, they get the Miami Dolphins at home and are multiple-score favorites.
After that comes another home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Those matchups could give the team a chance to put Willis in the lineup and let him work through rookie growing pains without the same risk that would come against a defense like the Rams.
That would buy San Francisco some time before a crucial Week 4 meeting with the Denver Broncos, followed by a road game against the Seattle Seahawks. By then, the left guard situation needs to be sorted out. The next two weeks will go a long way toward showing what the 49ers plan to do.
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