PFF: The 49ers Have the NFL’s 9th-Worst Offensive Line

The biggest and potentially only weakness on the 49ers’ roster is their offensive line.

Every other position group is stacked when healthy. The 49ers simply don’t like to invest much in offensive linemen other than Trent Williams who’s a difference-maker. Their philosophy is to invest in offensive players who touch the ball, not ones who merely block.

And because of this philosophy, the 49ers have the ninth-worst offensive line in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

“While the 49ers’ offensive line features a future Hall of Famer and arguably the best offensive lineman of the past few years in Trent Williams, those around him have so far failed to impress,” writes PFF analyst Zoltan Buday. “The rest of the offensive line consists of either career journeymen, such as center Jake Brendel and right guard Jon Feliciano, or young offensive linemen who the 49ers hope can improve in 2024, such as Aaron Banks and Colton McKivitz.”

What a brutal assessment. And McKivitz isn’t even young — he will turn 28 in August. He’s smack-dab in the middle of his prime and he’s still a liability. I seriously doubt the 49ers actually expect him to improve. And Banks most likely is entering his final season on the team considering he’ll be a free agent next year and the 49ers don’t spend on guards.

Without Williams, who misses at least a couple games every season, the 49ers might have the worst offensive line in the NFL. You’d think they’d want to improve it so they could keep Brock Purdy upright and healthy for as long as possible. But head coach Kyle Shanahan never changes his offensive philosophy.