PALM BEACH, Fla. — The 49ers lost one starter on their offensive line to a big-money contract in NFL free agency.
Their backup offensive tackle cashed in, too.
The offensive line — like a good portion of the 49ers — did not have a banner season, but general manager John Lynch doesn't sound like a man desperate to make wide-sweeping changes.
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“We’ll try to improve our offensive line through the draft, but there are a lot of good pieces there already,” Lynch said Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting.
Starting left guard Aaron Banks signed a four-year, $77 million contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Swing tackle Jaylon Moore received a two-year, $30 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, who expect him to protect the blindside of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Those are two roles the 49ers must fill this season. But Lynch expressed confidence in two other members of the offensive line: center Jake Brendel and right tackle Colton McKivitz.
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“We like our right tackle. We like our center,” Lynch said. “Left guard, we have some candidates in-house right now. But will we look to add in the draft? Certainly.”
Brendel ranked 12th in the NFL among all centers who played 700 or more snaps last season, per PFF’s blocking grades. McKivitz compiled solid grades, ranking 28th among all offensive tackles with 700 or more snaps.
However, Brendel and McKivitz are often identified as players whose starting positions could be vulnerable.
“That’s something where I don’t follow the (social media) narrative on how our guys are,” Lynch said. “We evaluate our players, and we think we have a pretty steady group.”
The 49ers can be expected to address their offensive line in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the 49ers do not appear likely to reach for a player at that position within the first couple of rounds.
The 49ers must find one new starter from a year ago.
Fifth-year professional Ben Bartch could be first in line to replace Banks. Bartch started 20 games over 3 1/2 seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 49ers signed him in the middle of the 2023 season.
Bartch played well in two starts for the 49ers last season before sustaining a season-ending high-ankle sprain in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears. Nick Zakelj and Spencer Burford could also compete for the opportunity to replace Banks.
While the 49ers' offensive line certainly has plenty of room for improvement, that unit seemed to grade out better than most other teams. PFF ranked the 49ers as the third-best run-blocking team, while their pass protection graded as No. 11 in the NFL.
The 49ers played seven games without 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams due to an ankle injury. Lynch said he expects a healthy Williams will elevate the play of the entire line — as his absence made things more difficult in 2024.
“When Trent Williams is down, you’re not going to be quite as good,” Lynch said.