It looked initially like the 49ers might be wandering into a mistake they made last training camp. In 2023 they handed starting jobs to right guard Spencer Burford and right tackle Colton McKivitz without any real competition. Through the first couple days of camp things appeared to be trending a similar direction.
Injuries have opened the door for some reserves to slide into starters reps though, and with that the interior offensive line competition appears to be on.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner noted some of the changes to the offensive line in Saturday’s session;
Without Burford and Feliciano, it was rookie Dominick Puni getting more run with the starting offense at right guard. 49ers view the interior OL as having competition and if Puni can stay healthy, that alone should help him get the needed reps to potentially earn a role sooner than later.
Burford is dealing with a broken hand that could keep him out a few weeks. It’s unclear why Feliciano is out, but he figures to be in the mix for the starting right guard job after finishing the season there last year.
The 49ers probably would prefer to see Puni, a rookie third-round pick, make a quick enough mark to become a starting right guard. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear that the club is holding competitions at all the interior O-line spots.
“And they’re all battling for those inside spots and any time, especially when you lose guys in there, you’re not having Burford, Feliciano has missed a little bit of time, and [OL Jake] Brendel will get some time off,” Shanahan said after Saturday’s practice. “He’s not out there every single day. So guys have to be able to back up. They have to be able to do center, they have to be able to do guard. They have to know all three.”
While starting jobs may be up for grabs, reserve jobs will also be there for the taking. San Francisco has a glut of offensive linemen and their depth was sorely lacking last year. This season they have a handful of options to start, and the best ones who don’t could become key reserves. The musical chairs on the OL will be worth watching closely in camp, particularly once the pads come on.