Should the 49ers be worried about their offensive line going into Week 1? Joint practices with the Denver Broncos revealed a troubling area that could become a weakness for San Francisco in the 2025 NFL season.
On Friday, 95.7 The Game's Joe Shasky spoke about what he saw during these joint practices and revealed his concerns regarding the 49ers' offensive line.
"Offensive line, it's going to be a work in progress," Shasky said on "The Morning Roast." "I'm just going to say that. Now, again, I'm trying to give you the caveat of that Denver defense isn't just good — they're unbelievable.
"Now, it's one team, it's one practice. But that team was awesome last year. They look humming now. And not only were they good, there was a confidence and a smack talk level. They were delivering to the Niners."
Shasky didn't stop there, as he noted that in his eyes, the Broncos were manhandling the 49ers' offensive line during that practice that he saw in person.
"Look, let's just call it what it is, the offense got punked [on Thursday]," Shasky added. "And again, the thin offensive line—because people are going to go, 'Purdy threw picks'—I'm not really worried more about the results of the throws.
"It's like the stuff leading up to the ball even being delivered; the pocket was getting collapsed. Purdy, last year, was forced to move over and over and over and over again. Same thing's going to happen this year."
While San Francisco have Trent Williams, the 49ers have a middle-of-the-pack offensive line as it was ranked 15th by Sharp Football Analysis. Moreover, the 37-year-old is coming off only playing 10 games last season, so age could be starting to become a factor for the 11-time Pro Bowler.
The 49ers have also seen Aaron Banks leave this past offseason after starting 13 games for them last season before an MCL injury ended his year. Nonetheless, that's a role on the 49ers' offensive line that will need to be filled, but there's also young talent emerging from the group.
Last season, rookie Dominick Puni started 17 games for the 49ers, and now he'll be looking to take the next step in his development. For San Francisco's offensive line to succeed, players like Puni need to keep improving.
