Ben Bartch proving 49ers upgraded at left guard without even trying

At no point heading into the offseason did the San Francisco 49ers seem intent on re-signing their 2021 second-round NFL Draft pick, left guard Aaron Banks.

This, probably for two key reasons.

First, Banks cashed in on a whopping four-year, $77 million free-agent deal with the Green Bay Packers. No way the Niners were going to pay that for an interior lineman.

Second, and probably even more importantly, San Francisco felt it had an even better option readily available, Ben Bartch.

When the 49ers acquired Bartch in November of 2023 after his original team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, waived him and subsequently demoted him to the practice squad, it might have been no more than a move to land a decent reserve with starter's experience. After all, Bartch had 20 starts with the Jags up to that point.

Now, with Banks no longer in the picture, the Bartch pickup might be an absolute coup for the Niners.

49ers poised to give Ben Bartch starting left guard job (and upgrade the O-line in doing so)

It's not fully clear whether San Francisco envisioned Bartch as Banks' would-be replacement late in 2023, but that notion certainly arose late in 2024 when the latter suffered what was essentially a season-ending injury.

In prime time against the Buffalo Bills, Bartch impressed in Banks' stead, which probably influenced the 49ers' decision to retain him on a one-year veteran-minimum contract for 2025.

So, an upgrade over Banks?

Pro Football Focus ranked the now-Packer 33rd out of 77 qualifying guards based on 2024 efforts, but the cost analysis in light of the Niners' cost-saving moves from the offseason don't match up.

Bartch may (or may not) be a clear upgrade on the field. However, even coming close to matching Banks' level of production would equate to a cost-saving steal without question.

Based on all the takeaways from offseason workouts, no one is effectively challenging Bartch for the starting left guard spot, meaning San Francisco is essentially handing the soon-to-be 27 year old the first-team role entering 2025.

If Bartch comes close to replicating his efforts as shown against Buffalo last season, it'll be a clear-cut upgrade over Banks, one the 49ers engineered without having to do much of anything.