The San Francisco 49ers invested heavily in the offensive line this year, trading up to draft guard Joshua Garnett in the first round and then adding John Theus and Fahn Cooper in the fifth round. Theus and Cooper are likely competing for reserve roles, but Garnett is expected to slot into the starting lineup fairly quickly.
Garnett missed most of the offseason workout program while he was finishing up final exams at Stanford. He took part in the rookie minicamp after the draft, and then re-joined the team for the three-day minicamp in June. He spent much of his time with the third team offensive line. Considering DeForest Buckner started with the third team defensive line when he joined the team, this was not a surprising development.
The question is not if Garnett will move into the starting lineup, but when. The folks at National Football Post put together a look at all the first round picks, and who they would replace in each team’s lineup. Yesterday, we discussed DeForest Buckner. Here’s what they had to say about Garnett:
Once Alex Boone left in free agency, guard became a big need on offense. Garnett, who San Francisco traded up to acquire, is Boone’s replacement. It is tough to lose an offensive lineman of Boone’s caliber, but the 49ers were proactive about finding a replacement. Garnett is a mauling run blocker.
Garnett is replacing Boone likely only in the sense of one guard replacing another in a more general sense. The team signed Zane Beadles in free agency, and he has never played anywhere other than left guard. It seems likely that Garnett will take over at right guard at some point. Brandon Thomas and Andrew Tiller have been getting guard work, and Fahn Cooper has gotten time at right tackle and right guard.
My guess is Garnett is with the starting offensive line by the first preseason game, but I suppose it could take another week. At what point do you see Garnett in the starting lineup?