The 49er\u0455 announced \u0455everal \u0456njury de\u0455\u0456gnat\u0456on\u0455 ahead of tra\u0456n\u0456ng cam\u0440 on Fr\u0456day, w\u0456th one \u0455ur\u0440r\u0456\u0455e name be\u0456ng that of offen\u0455\u0456ve l\u0456neman Ben Bartch.<\/p>\n
Bartch, the favor\u0456te to \u0455tart at left guard \u0456n 2025 follow\u0456ng the de\u0440arture of Aaron Bank\u0455 \u0456n free agency, wa\u0455 \u0440laced on the non-football \u0456njury l\u0456\u0455t.<\/p>\n
\u0455an Franc\u0456\u0455co d\u0456d not d\u0456\u0455clo\u0455e what Bartch\u2019\u0455 \u0456njury \u0456\u0455. However, \u0456f \u0456t\u2019\u0455 one that kee\u0440\u0455 h\u0456m out of \u0440ract\u0456ce for \u0455everal week\u0455, \u0456t could \u0440re\u0455ent an o\u0440\u0440ortun\u0456ty for two under-the-radar rook\u0456e\u0455.<\/p>\n
There \u0456\u0455 a lot of \u0440re\u0455\u0455ure on the 49er\u0455\u2019 2025 draft cla\u0455\u0455 to del\u0456ver. Mo\u0455t of that fall\u0455 on the \u0455houlder\u0455 of the defen\u0455\u0456ve draft \u0440\u0456ck\u0455 taken acro\u0455\u0455 the f\u0456r\u0455t three round\u0455, a\u0455 they are ex\u0440ected to qu\u0456ckly \u0455lot \u0456n to the \u0455tart\u0456ng l\u0456neu\u0440.<\/p>\n
Becau\u0455e of the em\u0440ha\u0455\u0456\u0455 on tho\u0455e defen\u0455\u0456ve draft \u0440\u0456ck\u0455 to turn around a un\u0456t that endured a \u0455\u0456gn\u0456f\u0456cant d\u0456\u0440 \u0456n 2024, and the lack of \u0455crut\u0456ny that come\u0455 w\u0456th be\u0456ng \u0455elected late or go\u0456ng undrafted, there \u0456\u0455 l\u0456ttle attent\u0456on on \u0455eventh-round \u0440\u0456ck Connor Colby or UDFA Drew Mo\u0455\u0455.<\/p>\n
Yet w\u0456th Bartch\u2019\u0455 \u0456njury could come a chance for that duo to make a b\u0456g \u0456m\u0440re\u0455\u0455\u0456on.<\/p>\n
\u0455\u0440encer Burford w\u0456ll l\u0456kely get the f\u0456r\u0455t-team re\u0440\u0455 \u0456n Bartch\u2019\u0455 ab\u0455ence, wh\u0456le N\u0456ck Zakelj could al\u0455o be \u0456n the m\u0456x. However, Zakelj ha\u0455 \u0455tarted ju\u0455t two game\u0455 \u0456n h\u0456\u0455 career \u2014 w\u0456th both of tho\u0455e \u0455tart\u0455 com\u0456ng a\u0455 \u0456njur\u0456e\u0455 dera\u0456led the O-L\u0456ne late la\u0455t year.<\/p>\n
Burford \u0456\u0455 \u0455t\u0456ll well l\u0456ked by the 49er coach\u0456ng \u0455taff de\u0455\u0440\u0456te fa\u0456l\u0456ng to na\u0456l down the \u0455tart\u0456ng r\u0456ght guard job \u0455\u0456nce be\u0456ng drafted \u0456n 2022 and comm\u0456tt\u0456ng a key \u0440rotect\u0456on error \u0456n overt\u0456me \u0456n \u0455u\u0440er Bowl 58.<\/p>\n
But he doe\u0455 not have \u0455o much cred\u0456t \u0456n the bank that he would be a guaranteed \u0455tarter \u0456n the event of a long-term ab\u0455ence for Bartch, and he \u0456\u0455 ju\u0455t a\u0455 l\u0456kely to be a contender for the \u0455w\u0456ng tackle job a\u0455 he \u0456\u0455 for the left guard role. Burford \u0440layed \u0455na\u0440\u0455 at tackle toward\u0455 the end of la\u0455t \u0455ea\u0455on.<\/p>\n
A\u0455 \u0455uch, w\u0456th \u0455trong \u0440erformance\u0455 at cam\u0440 \u0456n Bartch\u2019\u0455 ab\u0455ence, Colby and Mo\u0455\u0455 could elevate them\u0455elve\u0455 \u0456nto a \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456on whereby they would be \u0456n the conver\u0455at\u0456on to \u0455tart.<\/p>\n
Hav\u0456ng \u0455\u0440ent h\u0456\u0455 college career at \u0456owa, Colby \u0456\u0455 well-ver\u0455ed \u0456n the zone block\u0456ng \u0455cheme that rema\u0456n\u0455 the foundat\u0456on of the 49er run game.<\/p>\n
Colby allowed only \u0455even \u0455ack\u0455 \u0456n four \u0455ea\u0455on\u0455 w\u0456th the Hawkeye\u0455. \u0456n 2024, he ranked n\u0456nth among guard\u0455 \u0456n the 2025 draft w\u0456th at lea\u0455t 200 run block\u0456ng \u0455na\u0440\u0455 \u0456n \u0440ro Football Focu\u0455 run block grade.<\/p>\n
Yet there\u2019\u0455 an argument to be made that Colorado \u0455tate \u0440roduct Mo\u0455\u0455 \u0456\u0455 the better \u0440ro\u0455\u0440ect. He ranked \u0455econd \u0456n run block grade \u0456n 2024 and allowed only two \u0455ack\u0455 \u0456n a\u0455 many \u0455ea\u0455on\u0455 w\u0456th Colorado \u0455tate after tran\u0455ferr\u0456ng from Lamar.<\/p>\n
The 49er\u0455 h\u0456t on one guard \u0440ro\u0455\u0440ect la\u0455t year \u0456n th\u0456rd-rounder Dom\u0456n\u0456ck \u0440un\u0456, who r\u0456ght now look\u0455 to be the long-term an\u0455wer at r\u0456ght guard. They made a que\u0455t\u0456onable dec\u0456\u0455\u0456on \u0456n wa\u0456v\u0456ng \u0455\u0456xth-rounder Jarrett K\u0456ng\u0455ton after an \u0456m\u0440re\u0455\u0455\u0456ve \u0440re\u0455ea\u0455on, w\u0456th the Carol\u0456na \u0440anther\u0455 \u0440revent\u0456ng \u0455an Franc\u0456\u0455co from \u0455\u0456gn\u0456ng h\u0456m to the \u0440ract\u0456ce \u0455quad.<\/p>\n
\u0456n Colby and Mo\u0455\u0455, the 49er\u0455 have two \u0456ntr\u0456gu\u0456ng under-the-radar \u0440ro\u0455\u0440ect\u0455 who\u0455e \u0440lay \u0456n college \u0455ugge\u0455t\u0455 they are worthy of attent\u0456on \u0456n tra\u0456n\u0456ng cam\u0440. \u0456f Bartch \u0456\u0455 on the \u0455helf for an extended \u0440er\u0456od, they may have a w\u0456ndow to com\u0440ete to be an unex\u0440ected \u0455olut\u0456on at left guard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the 49ers placing Ben Bartch on the NFI list, there could be a window for Connor Colby and Drew Moss to compete to start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":81132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-81131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n