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49ers keep O-line intact, will use draft to add necessary depth

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The line for the NFL’s second-ranked offense will remain intact.

The 49ers, who piled up 491 points and 6,773 total yards, assured the return of their five best offensive linemen with an agreement Friday for veteran guard Jon Feliciano to stick around for what he described on social media as a “last ride.”

The 49ers have their top offensive line from last season under contract for 2024: left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Aaron Banks, center Jake Brendel, right guard Feliciano and right tackle Colton McKivitz.

San Francisco still figures to look to increase the competition or depth on the right side of their line in the upcoming draft. The tackle, guard and center positions are all positions the 49ers could look to address as early as pick No. 31 in the upcoming draft.

The 49ers had a top-third offensive line in the NFL last season, according to Pro Football Focus. The football analytics site ranked the 49ers with the ninth-best line in the league, including No. 4 in run-blocking.

Running back Christian McCaffrey led the league with 1,459 yards — nearly 300 yards more than No. 2 Derrick Henry.

The 49ers were seventh-best in the league with 34 sacks allowed. Six of those sacks came during backup quarterback Sam Darnold’s limited playing time.

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Quarterback Brock Purdy set the franchise record with 4,280 yards passing and led the NFL with a passer rating of 113.0 while leading the league with 9.6 yards per pass attempt.

Purdy was sacked just four times in the 49ers’ three postseason games, but a breakdown in protection proved to be a critical error in the 49ers’ 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Spencer Burford, who opened the season as the team’s starting right guard, was forced back into action when Feliciano exited with an injury. On a third-and-4 play from the 49ers’ 9-yard line in overtime, Burford busted an assignment and did not block Kansas City star defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Under pressure, Purdy was off-target on his pass attempt to Jauan Jennings. The 49ers settled for a short field goal. Then, Patrick Mahomes led Kansas City on their game-winning drive.

The Chiefs featured the league’s 13th-best offensive line, according to PFF’s grades. The Detroit Lions fielded PFF’s highest-graded offensive line.

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