colton mckivitz – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Ranking the right tackles in the NFC West entering 2023

There are likely going to be two new starting right tackles in the division in 2023.

On the offensive line, left tackles get the most attention. However, right tackles are equally as important in the NFL now with many teams having a pair of good edge rushers and because good pass rushers often switch sides.

We looked at the right tackles in the division already. In 2023, the San Francisco 49ers will have a new starter as Mike McGlinchey signed with the Denver Broncos, and the Cardinals have a battle for the starting right tackle job.

How do the right tackles in the division stack up?

Previous NFC West rankings:

Starting quarterbacks

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

PFF dings 49ers OL for 2 offseason changes, 1 of which didn’t happen

The #49ers dropped 11 spots in PFF’s OL rankings thanks in part to something that didn’t happen.

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The 49ers were aiming for continuity on their offensive line this offseason, and they got it outside of Mike McGlinchey’s exit in free agency. Despite the largely similar OL they’ll roll into 2023 with, Pro Football Focus dropped the club 11 spots in its OL rankings to No. 18 overall.

While it’s not entirely unfair to have some concerns about the 49ers’ offensive line, part of the reason they fell so far was because of a move that didn’t actually happen.

Here’s PFF’s Sam Monson on the 49ers’ OL:

If it wasn’t for Trent Williams, this line would be a concerning group on paper. It still may need to lean on Kyle Shanahan’s offense to put some gloss on its performances.

San Francisco’s line ranked fifth in PFF pass-blocking efficiency over the 2022 season but lost two starters in the offseason.

That first point is mostly fine. Shanahan is very good at working around adversity on the offensive line, and all four players along the front who aren’t Williams have to take a step forward in 2023.

The second point is wrong. PFF has Jon Feliciano listed as the 49ers’ starting center, indicating that last year’s starting center, Jake Brendel, is no longer with the team.

Brendel is very much with the team. He signed a four-year, $16.5 million deal with $5 million fully guaranteed. That’s not a contract for a backup center. He’s going to start again and Feliciano will likely be the do-everything reserve along the interior.

This isn’t to say that Brendel is an All-Pro caliber center who would dramatically change the team’s ranking, but it would surely help since PFF graded Brendel as about average overall and as a run blocker, while marking him as an above average pass blocker. Brendel in his first season as a full-time starter allowed 14 pressures and one sack in 680 pass blocking snaps.

Feliciano in 649 pass blocking snaps last year with the Giants allowed 25 pressures and four sacks, while grading out below average overall and in the run game.

Ultimately the 49ers have something to prove up front. Brendel, Aaron Banks and Spencer Burford all have to make strides forward after up-and-down 2022 campaigns from each. Burford will also assume a full-time role after rotating some with Daniel Brunskill last season. Then there’s Colton McKivitz at right tackle who figures to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career. He’s a significant question mark replacing McGlinchey who was San Francisco’s second-best OL last season.

It’s fair to rank this 49ers group in the middle of the pack given some of the question marks about the long-term viability of some of their starters, but to dock them for losing two starters is to dock them for something that didn’t actually happen.

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No competition expected for unproven right side of 49ers OL

We can pencil in all 5 starters along the 49ers offensive line.

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The 49ers didn’t bring in a ton of competition for starting spots on their offensive line. That was by design according to offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who told reporters that neither right guard Spencer Burford nor right tackle Colton McKivitz are in danger of losing their starting spots.

Burford is returning as the starting right guard, but there was some question about his spot as the starter after he spent all of last season rotating with veteran Daniel Brunskill.

For McKivitz, he’s set to replace Mike McGlinchey who joined the Broncos in free agency. McKivitz will be the only new starter on the 49ers’ offensive front. The team made it clear he was the frontrunner for the job when they signed him to a two-year deal this offseason, then didn’t draft anyone to push him for that role.

Foerster on Wednesday said the starting right tackle job is McKivitz’s going into camp.

“I think that knowing the job is his coming into it and it’s his job to lose kind of, although there will be guys that are there to compete if it doesn’t work out,” Foerster said. “I think it is also going to help build his confidence. He is good for the position.”

He relayed a similar message to Burford.

“Well, I’ll tell you what, it’s going to be exciting for him,” Foerster said. “Both those guys (Burford and McKivitz) were in my office yesterday, because I wanted to give them both kind of the same message of you’re not looking over your shoulder right now. This is your job now.”

Foerster did name some of the depth pieces on the 49ers’ offensive line who could presumably push for the job, but that will be contingent on some sort of failure from either one of McKivitz or Burford. They’d need to fall off precipitously for one of the reserves to make their way into the mix.

Continuity is key along the offensive line. Last year the 49ers had uncertainty at all three interior positions. Now they’re going into a year where they know who their five starters will be. That’s a good start for a line that could be ready to take a step forward in 2023.

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Colton McKivitz’s 2-year contract could signal 49ers’ plans at RT

Colton McKivitz’s 2-year contract could be a signal of the #49ers’ plans at right tackle.

The 49ers on Thursday announced offensive tackle Colton McKivitz signed a two-year extension that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2024 season.

McKivitz was due to hit restricted free agency this offseason. Instead of exploring the market, he gets a two-year extension to stay with the club that selected him in the fifth round of the 2020 draft.

The two-year deal could be a signal of the 49ers’ plans at OT this year. San Francisco may need to fill the starting right tackle spot with Mike McGlinchey likely to receive a sizable contract elsewhere in free agency.

McKivitz, who served as the swing tackle in 2021 and 2022, is the likeliest in-house candidate to replace McGlinchey. A two-year deal is at least some sign the 49ers value him more than the typical reserve offensive lineman.

It’s not a slam dunk that McKivitz will land the starting job, but this is a sign he’s at least the frontrunner for the position.

Since being taken 153rd overall, McKivitz has started five of the 28 games he’s played in, including a must-win Week 18 game in Los Angeles to end the 2021 season. He was cut to begin that year, but re-signed to the practice squad and eventually made his way to the active roster. Now the West Virginia product has a real chance to become San Francisco’s starting right tackle.

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49ers could be down to 3rd-string LT for Week 5 and beyond

It sounds like the 49ers will be down to their third-string LT for the foreseeable future.

The 49ers’ situation on the offensive line is getting dire. While they’re still working through some hiccups with their unproven interior, they’re now digging deep into their roster to find answers at left tackle.

Colton McKivitz, who started Week 4 since Trent Williams is out with a high ankle sprain, is now potentially out for several weeks with an MCL sprain according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Colton McKivitz ended up having an MCL sprain,” Shanahan said in a conference call Tuesday. “He’s going to be out a while. Very similar to what [RB] Elijah [Mitchell] and [LB] Azeez [Al-Shaair] have.”

Mitchell and Al-Shaair are both expected to miss six-to-eight weeks, so the 49ers can likely anticipate missing McKivitz for a similar stretch of time.

There’s no timeline yet on a return for Williams either, so San Francisco may be scraping the bottom of the barrel for left tackles for the foreseeable future.

2021 fifth-round pick Jaylon Moore, who was a four-year starter at left tackle at Western Michigan, figures to be first in line to start. Shanahan said the coaching staff is still ironing that out though.

“We’ll see how this week plays out,” Shanahan said. “Really haven’t discussed it yet, but most likely it’ll be Jaylon Moore, but we know Dan [Brunskill] is always an option.”

Brunskill was active Monday night for the first time all season and saw minimal action filling in for a series at right guard for rookie Spencer Burford. Tackle is Brunskill’s natural position, though he’s become an interior lineman with San Francisco over the last three years. Reserve OL Blake Hance also has offensive tackle reps under his belt in the NFL.

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Trent Williams regrets playing hurt in NFC championship game

Trent Williams says he shouldn’t have played on an ankle injury in the NFC championship game. #49ers

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Trent Williams battled through a high ankle sprain to play for the 49ers in their NFC championship game loss to the Rams in January. If he had it to do over again though, he would’ve handed the keys to the left tackle spot to his backup, Colton McKivitz.

Williams on Tuesday spoke with reporters and said he shouldn’t have suited up for San Francisco’s biggest game of the year.

”Colton would’ve done a better job on two healthy ankles than I did on one,” Williams said via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco.

Pro Football Focus gave Williams a 52.5 grade that day — by far his worst mark as a 49er. He also allowed five pressures, the most he’s allowed since Week 17 of the 2018 season.

McKivitz’s only start of 2021 came in Week 18 against the Rams in Los Angeles. He allowed two sacks and four pressures, but held his own as San Francisco clinched a spot in the playoffs with a victory.

It’s admirable that Williams is willing to step up and say in hindsight he should’ve had McKivitz take his spot. At the same time, the veteran’s competitiveness should also be lauded since playing on a high ankle sprain is exceedingly rare and presumably very painful. Williams was noticeably favoring his ankle during the game.

It ultimately might not have mattered who played left tackle for the 49ers in the NFC championship game. There were a lot of plays that didn’t go their way that had little or nothing to do with the offensive line.

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49ers roster moves: TE George Kittle’s practice window opens

The San Francisco 49ers opened TE George Kittle’s practice window in the first step of getting him off Injured Reserve.

The San Francisco 49ers have opened the injured reserve practice window for star tight end George Kittle. He will now have the next three weeks to practice with the team before head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch must decide whether to reinstate him to the active roster or leave him on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Opening his practice window before Week 15 gives the team some additional breathing room if they don’t make the playoffs. Kittle’s practice window will close when the season ends, so the 21 days will only come into play with a miraculous playoff run by San Francisco.

Kittle fractured his foot in the 49ers Week 7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but the team has remained hopeful that he could eventually make a return to the field. In 6 games this season, Kittle has hauled in 37 receptions for 474 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The 49ers also signed DL Alex Barrett, CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DL Daeshon Hall, OL Aaron Neary and OL Isaiah Williams to the practice squad. Undrafted rookie TE Chase Harrell was let go from the practice squad.

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5 49ers stories from last week for Cardinals fans to know

We check in with one of the Cardinals’ division rivals to see what has happened in the last week.

With the end of another week in the offseason, it is time for us to take a look around the NFC West and see what is going on with the Arizona Cardinals’ division rivals.

What is new with the San Francisco 49ers? Here are the biggest stories for Cardinals to know from the last week about the Niners.

49ers player tests positive for COVID-19

Several 49ers players got together to work out in Nashville, not unlike what the Arizona Cardinals players were scheduled to do in Dallas with quarterback Kyler Murray. However, according to a report, one of the 49ers players tested positive for the coronavirus. Other players are awaiting the results of their tests.

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49ers sign 5th-round pick, OL Colton McKivitz

The 49ers signed the first member of their 2020 NFL draft class — West Virginia OL Colton McKivitz.

The 49ers on Friday officially signed the first member of their 2020 draft class. Offensive lineman Colton McKivitz inked his standard four-year rookie contract.

San Francisco selected McKivitz with the No. 153 overall pick out of West Virginia. They acquired the pick from Miami in exchange for running back Matt Breida.

McKivitz, 6-6, 301 pounds, started 47 of the 50 games he played in for the Mountaineers and spent time at both tackle spots. He was the Big 12’s co-Offensive Lineman of the Year last year, while also earning a spot as a First-Team All-Big 12 member, and an AP Third-Team All-American nod.

General manager John Lynch said the 49ers were ready to select McKivitz in the fourth round had they owned a fourth-round pick, so it’s not out of the question he finds a starting job as a rookie. There’s a chance McKivitz sticks at tackle, but he could also slide down inside and battle for the starting right guard spot. His size, skillset and playing style would fit well along the interior and may translate better from college to the pros.

McKivitz was the first member of the 49ers’ 2020 draft class to sign. First-round picks Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk, sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner and seventh-round pick Jauan Jennings remain unsigned.

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Ranking 49ers draft picks based on potential impact as rookies

The 49ers’ rookie class has a chance to be extremely effective right away.

The 49ers made a significant gamble in the 2020 draft when they maneuvered to wind up with just five selections. Their moves left them with a pair of first-round picks, then single selections in each of the final three rounds.

Because of the limited number of players from this year’s class, each one’s role is easy to envision. We’ve already gone through and speculated as to what that role might be, but now we’ve looked at the class and ranked the picks in order of potential impact in their rookie year.

5. TE Charlie Woerner

Even if Woerner lands the TE2 job and beats out Ross Dwelley it’s going to be difficult for him to have a massive impact on the team. He is a very good run blocker though who should act as a difference-maker when he is in the game. The problem for his impact is that even if he mirrors Dwelley’s playing time from last year, he’ll only be in on about a quarter of the offensive snaps.

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