San Francisco 49ers surprisingly strong at guard

A strong offensive line is the bedrock for most NFL offenses, and the San Francisco 49ers will have to hope that theirs is ready for a rebound year in 2016.

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When he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, current San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly made a fatal miscalculation by devaluing the offensive guard position. Jason Peters and Lane Johnson formed one of the league’s most athletic tackle duos, but guard became a huge problem spot.

Kelly spent big bucks on running backs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, but after he tossed Evan Mathis to the curb, the blocking up front ensured that the money would be wasted. Mathis won the Super Bowl as the Denver Broncos best offensive lineman, whereas Kelly would be fired, left wondering if dismissing the guard (and the position as a whole) was his fatal mistake.

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History will not repeat itself in San Francisco, or, at least, it seems like Kelly has learned his lesson. Some criticized the team’s decision to trade up into the first round to draft Stanford guard Josh Garnett, but there’s a chance he’s the best guard in the class.

No, the guard position isn’t seen as a draft priority around the league, but maybe that’s why players like Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio are known as recent draft steals. Could Garnett be next?

What’s more important than how Garnett stacks up with other guards, comparisons like that are incredibly unfair, is the apparent shift in mentality on Kelly’s part. With an unsettled quarterback situation, Kelly knows that this team must run the ball well and protect its quarterback so that he can spread the ball around.

Torrey Smith can be Kelly’s DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin, but he can’t win alone. With plenty of young receivers in the mix like Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton, Eric Rogers, and Aaron Burbridge, chances are that multiple players will emerge.

Ellington isn’t the only player undervalued by the previous coaching staff to watch, because guard Brandon Thomas could find his way into the starting lineup. Thomas was a touted prospect before he tore his ACL prior to the draft, and it looks like Kelly will finally give him a chance to show his worth.

Thomas and Garnett are the young, promising guards with minimal experience in competition at right guard, and the two veterans on the block are Andrew Tiller and free agent signing Zane Beadles.

With the way the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars tossed Beadles to the side, it may be hard to envision him as the starting left guard. So it was interesting to see that he lined up as a starter in May.

Tiller isn’t a well-praised player, but he looked like a quality starting left guard at the end of the 2015 season. The 49ers played Tiller on the left and the right last year, and he should be considered their best-known commodity. Younger than Beadles, Tiller just might be better, though Beadles seems to have a better track record (and more money in his bank account).

The fact that there are four noteworthy players at the guard position is important, because the 49ers will need to be strong up the middle in 2016. Carlos Hyde’s health might be the biggest factor for the running game, but getting a push up front is paramount. Hence, why the 49ers traded up for Garnett, a move perhaps necessitated by Alex Boone signing with the Minnesota Vikings.

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Boone was a fixture on the 49ers roster for years and is one of the best guards in the NFL. Yet, the 49ers could be stronger and deeper at the position, pending how Garnett performs right off the bat. None of the players on their roster are as good as Boone, but it is worth praising the 49ers for addressing the position. More importantly, Kelly deserves praise for drafting Garnett, and he could receive even more plaudits if he’s able to unearth a gem in Thomas, who never received a look from Jim Tomsula.

Hopefully, no more decisions as puzzling as this one occur under Kelly’s reign. Remember how many times Ellington was a healthy scratch?