49ers offensive line among the younger in the NFL

In news that should surprise nobody, the San Francisco 49ers could have one of the younger offensive lines in the NFL in 2015. Eagles writer Jimmy Kempski put together a ranking of the average age for each starting offensive line, and the 49ers rank No. 22 with an average age of 25.6. They are tied with the Packers and Panthers. The Eagles rank the oldest at 29.6, and the Rams rank the youngest at 23.4

It looks like Kempski grabbed his depth charts from Our Lads, or at least the 49ers average age matches that group. They list the offensive line as follows:

LT: Joe Staley (30)
LG: Brandon Thomas (24)
C: Marcus Martin (21)
RG: Alex Boone (28)
RT: Anthony Davis (25)

If you slot in Daniel Kilgore over Marcus Martin, the average age climbs to 26.8. That would move them into a tie for No. 12 with the Bengals and Colts. Kilgore is still rehabbing back from his leg injury. It seems likely it included some ligament damage that is slowing his progress. The 49ers begin their OTAs on Tuesday, but it seems likely that Kilgore will not be overly involved in on-field work. Given the amount of playing time Martin received last year following Kilgore's injury, this only serves to benefit him further.

Other than that, Brandon Thomas is the only question mark on the line. He is penciled in as the starter, but still has to show he is ready to handle the role. He was projected as a potential second round pick before his ACL injury. My guess is he ends up with the starting role, but there are no guarantees. Erik Pears and Joe Looney do not appear to be long-term guard options, but they are certainly still in the mix.

For comparison's sake, the 49ers offensive line was No. 16 last year, 12th oldest in 2013, and 15th youngest in 2012.

NFL projected starting OL, ranked by average age: pic.twitter.com/mY6lj3C27G

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) May 17, 2015