INDIANAPOLIS — The 49ers invested a second-round draft pick in guard Aaron Banks, but he got on the field for only five snaps of offense as a rookie.
“I think there’s this narrative that because Aaron didn’t play, there must be something wrong with him,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Quite the contrary.
“I think he really grew. He really reshaped his body, and we’re really excited about getting him out there and letting him compete."
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As part of the review process of the 2021 season, Lynch said the 49ers’ coaching staff and personnel department watched practice and game film of both sides of the ball. The comments on Banks’ improvement were overwhelmingly positive, Lynch suggested.
Left guard Laken Tomlinson is scheduled for unrestricted free agency and could be in line for a lucrative contract as one of the NFL’s top offensive linemen to hit the market.
Banks, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, should be in line to step into a starting role if Tomlinson signs elsewhere. If Tomlinson returns to the 49ers, Banks would likely compete against Daniel Brunskill for the job at right guard.
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Banks appears to be taking the necessary steps in order to make a contribution to the 49ers in 2022. Players are allowed at the team facility at this stage of the offseason if they are working out on their own. Approximately 10 players have been working out in Santa Clara since the end of the season, Lynch said, and Banks is one of them.
“I think he’s really made a commitment and, man, he’s got a ton of ability, so it could be really fun to see him become a part of what we are,” Lynch said. “He made great strides last year, so I’m really excited about him, as we all are.”