The San Francisco 49ers came out of Saturday’s preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts with several question marks, but one thing that made fans optimistic was the offense. Despite scoring only six points, the offense was quite efficient. If only they could finish drives.
There were a lot of good things to see from the offense, but in Pro Football Focus’ grades for that side of the ball, you’d be surprised to see the position that topped the charts:
The 49ers highest graded players on offense last night. pic.twitter.com/QeyuK9wRNF
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 27, 2018
So a tackle, three guards and a fullback. The offensive line actually topped offensive grades.
Preseason or no, I’ll take it. The 49ers offensive line has been a disaster for years. All that changed when Jimmy Garoppolo got under center thanks in part to his quick release.
You’ll notice that neither Joshua Garnett or Mike Person hit the top of the rankings, but Jonathan Cooper did. The right guard spot seems to be Person’s to lose, while Garnett will make his final argument on Thursday. Both aren’t listed here, but Jonathan Cooper is.
For that reason, take these rankings with a gran of salt. Cooper has had his own issues with the guard competition and had he played against the level that Garnett and Person did, perhaps his ranking would drop.
Either way, it’s interesting to see the O-line, an achilles heel of the 49ers offense for the last few years, get the best offensive ranks.