The San Francisco 49ers once again look to be the cream of the crop in the NFC. They have made it to the NFC Championship Game in three straight seasons and four out of the last five but have been unable to get over the hump and win the big one.
The 49ers have been defeated in both of their recent Super Bowl appearances by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. To get the proverbial monkey off their back, they need to continue improving on the margins wherever possible.
One of the areas they could look to shore up following the 2024 NFL Draft is along the offensive line. In a recent piece published by Gordon McGuinness of PFF, he suggested that San Francisco sign veteran guard Dalton Risner to upgrade the interior in the trenches.
“Risner wasn’t signed until midseason last year but is still a starting-caliber guard in the NFL, where he remains an above-average pass blocker. His 67.4 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023 marked the fifth straight season where he earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 65.0, with 30 total pressures allowed from 485 pass-blocking snaps.
Aaron Banks has started each of the past two seasons at left guard for the 49ers but is in the final year of his rookie contract. He earned just a 51.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023,” wrote McGuinness.
It was a surprise last offseason when Risner took so long to find a landing spot and it is even more surprising this time around. He proved in 2023 that he is a starting-caliber guard in the NFL, providing stellar pass protection.
While his run blocking hasn’t been as consistent, it is clear that Risner would be an upgrade for several teams at guard, such as the 49ers. As McGuinness pointed out, Aaron Banks has not panned out as well as the team would have hoped and is a player who could be upgraded on this offseason.
Risner, who spent the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, would be a nice addition to the 49ers. At the very least he would provide the team with elite veteran insurance at the position. Depth along the offensive line is key, as that unit’s success will be paramount to the offensive unit playing well.
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