Drafting Trey Lance as Jimmy Garoppolo’s heir apparent at quarterback was the 49ers’ attention grabbing move this offseason.
Priority 1A was a little less splashy, but required a record-setting contract and just might hold the key to the 49ers’ hopes of returning to the Super Bowl.
Improving their offensive line became an obvious mission, not just to complement whoever is at quarterback, but also block for whoever is carrying the ball in a run-oriented attack.
So the 49ers re-signed left tackle Trent Williams to the richest contract ever for an offensive lineman. That was $138 million well spent, say Williams’ teammates.
“You can’t pay too much for a guy like that,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said this spring. “He’s a guy that puts you over the top and in that championship caliber.”
Williams has the seventh-richest contract in the NFL, one spot ahead of Garoppolo, the guy he’s supposed to protect. So what can Williams possibly do to be worth more than virtually everyone else in the league?
“This guy is actually moving defensive linemen into the laps of linebackers, back into the secondary, and that just doesn’t really happen in the NFL,” Juszczyk says.
Even at 6-foot-5 and nearly 320 pounds, Williams can’t do it all. So the 49ers brought in center Alex Mack, a six-time Pro Bowler from Cal. They also used the draft to add more depth, taking guard Aaron Banks in the second round and Jaylon Moore in the fifth.
There’s also a historical element to the franchise’s desire to fortify its offense from the front five: reliable offensive lines escorted the 49ers to five Super Bowl wins — and nearly two more.
Can this group pave the way for Super Bowl championship No. 6? We’ll see.
Offensive linemen are usually the least known players on the team. Get to know the 49ers’ guys.
LEFT TACKLE
Trent Williams
Age: 33
Height/Weight: 6-5/318
Experience: 11th year
College: Oklahoma
Did you know? Williams picked up the nickname “Silverback” from college teammates because he was such a beast on the field. Since then Williams has accumulated all sorts of gorilla-themed momentos, including a huge tattoo of one on his back. It reportedly took two seven-hour sessions and cost around $3,000 for that ink. … Was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft and was introduced with his nickname after he had dared NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to use it. … He’s a cancer survivor, having a cancerous growth removed from his head in April 2019 and missing the season. … Last season was his eighth Pro Bowl selection.
Analysis: His record contract (six years, $138.06 million) is essentially a three-year pact with club options through 2026. His athleticism, brute strength and leadership resurfaced at a Pro Bowl level last season in his 49ers’ debut, after sitting out 2019 to end his Washington tenure.
Quote to note: “Trent’s passion for the game could be felt from day one, and this fits exactly with our vision of the 49er way and a championship culture.” — 49ers general manager John Lynch
LEFT GUARD
Laken Tomlinson
Age: 29
Height/Weight: 6-3/320
Experience: 7th year
College: Duke
Did you know? Tomlinson was born in Jamaica and lived there until he was 10 and moved to Chicago with his mother. … Graduated from Duke with degrees in both evolutionary anthropology and psychology. He plans to become a neurosurgeon after his football career ends — he has even shadowed doctors during his spare time to begin preparing for that move. … Was originally drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 28th overall pick in 2015.
Analysis: He’s been extremely durable the past four seasons since coming from Detroit. Will he be phased out in favor of a younger, cheaper option, such as Aaron Banks, an All-American left guard last year for Notre Dame?
Quote to note: “I want to improve the healthcare system in Jamaica. I believe it is the best way to directly help people in need and make a difference.” — Laken Tomlinson
CENTER
Alex Mack
Age: 35
Height/Weight: 6-4/311
Experience: 13th year
College: Cal
Did you know? In 2008, Mack became the first player from Cal to win the William V. Campbell Trophy as college football’s top scholar-athlete — some call it the academic Heisman. He graduated magna cum laude with a 3.61 GPA in legal studies and didn’t stop there, earning a Master’s in Education. … Mack was named to the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2010s by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and for good reason — he was named to the Pro Bowl six times during that span (2011, 2014 & 2016-19). … The 21st overall pick in the 2009 draft, he spent seven seasons with the Browns and then the past five with Atlanta before signing with the 49ers as a free agent.
Analysis: The Cal product expects to excel in the same system he played under Kyle Shanahan with the Browns (2014) and the Falcons (2015-16), all while curing the 49ers’ center conundrum.
Quote to note: “Any time Kyle’s offense has been successful, it pretty much starts from center. It’s the brain trust of our offense and offensive line. To get a Pro Bowler who plays at the highest level possible since he entered the NFL, you can’t ask for anything better than that.” — 49ers left tackle Trent Williams
RIGHT GUARD
Daniel Brunskill
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 6-5/300
Experience: 3rd year
College: San Diego State
Did you know? Brunskill played in the Alliance of American Football with the San Diego Fleet when a 49ers scout spotted him.
Analysis: After starting the first eight games at right guard last season, he switched to start the final eight at center, showing the versatility that makes him arguably their top backup at every position on the offensive line.
Quote to note: “Dan, he’s a hard worker, man. He’s a hard-nose dude. Comes in, you know what you’re getting every day out of him. He has a little bit of sarcasm that keeps you on your toes, but I like that about him and he just fits in with the crew.” — Jimmy Garoppolo
OR
Aaron Banks
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 6-5/338
Experience: 1st year
College: Notre Dame
Did you know? Banks is from Alameda and his dad, Lamont, is a lifelong Raiders fan. So much so that, reportedly, Lamont once forbade a family member from bringing 49ers gear into the house at a birthday party. … Banks was taken with the 48th pick in the draft — a spot the Raiders held before trading it to the 49ers. … Was given the nickname “The Dancing Bear” by former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long due to his energy and playing style.
Analysis: Local kid makes good. Local kid could make the 49ers’ offensive line really good, actually. The El Cerrito High product’s listed weight is heavier than the 49ers’ traditional lineman, but Banks brings athleticism and a competitive edge.
Quote to note: “It’s definitely made the transition very easy. I didn’t have to travel very far. After the draft I just came down the road, so that was really nice.” — Aaron Banks, who was in Sonoma when he was drafted by the 49ers
RIGHT TACKLE
Mike McGlinchey
Age: 26
Height/weight: 6-8/291
Experience: 4th year
College: Notre Dame
Did you know? For the My Cleats campaign during Week 14 of the 2019 season, McGlinchey represented the charity Autism Speaks in honor of his younger brother, Jim. … Mike is the oldest of six siblings and has quite a bit of family in the Philadelphia area, so on Notre Dame home gamedays there were typically dozens of the McGlinchey clan tailgating and then rooting on Mike and the Irish. … Mike was so big for his age as a child that his parents brought his birth certificate to his basketball games to assure everyone he was of the proper age. … Pro Football Focus gave McGlinchey the second-highest run-blocking grade out of any tackle in the NFL (behind only teammate Trent Williams).
Analysis: A contract extension is coming if he bounces back from last year’s pass protection blunders and continues to dominate as a run blocker. The 49ers have picked up his 2022 fifth-year option at $10.9 million, so they could return him on that if they’re not sold on his 2021 efforts.
Quote to note: “My dad is about five foot, eleven inches. My mom is five foot, eight inches. So, it must have been a genetic mutation.” — Mike McGlinchey on where he got his size
TOP RESERVES
Jaylon Moore
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 6-5/315
Experience: 1st year
College: Western Michigan
Analysis: The 49ers initially projected moving this fifth-round pick to guard but he lined up as a left tackle in offseason workouts, and the swing tackle job is open after Justin Skule’s knee injury in June.
Tom Compton
Age: 32
Height/Weight: 6-5/315
Experience: 9th year
College: South Dakota
Analysis: He offers veteran insurance and system familiarity. He played in seven games last year and started three at right guard.
