Each week leading up to the start of training camp, 49ers.com will assess the team's roster as we get closer to the season. In this installment of the 2024 roster breakdown, we will take a look at the offensive line and evaluate the unit's depth behind the starting five.
Previous Installment: Quarterbacks
Continuity is a key factor to an offensive line's success, and the 49ers are retaining all five starting linemen that helped lead the team to Super Bowl LVIII. The group returning for the 2024 season is highlighted by star left tackle Trent Williams, who is entering his fifth season with the 49ers, and center Jake Brendel, who re-signed to a four-year deal last offseason to stay in The Bay through 2026. To provide continued stability on the O-line in the upcoming season, the team re-signed right tackle Colton McKivitz and right guard Jon Feliciano each to one-year deals earlier in March.
New to the team are free agent acquisitions Brandon Parker from the Las Vegas Raiders, Chris Hubbard from the Tennessee Titans and undrafted free agents Briason Mays and Drake Nugent. During the 2024 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected two offensive linemen – third-round pick Dominick Puni and sixth-round pick Jarrett Kingston.
"The guys that touch the ball every single play have a chance to make big plays, we've just got to make it possible for them to do it," offensive line and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said during the 2024 State of the Franchise. "It's great to have the continuity. You have Trent Williams playing next to Aaron Banks now for two or three years in a row, the continuity, it's just something to it. I can't explain it, but guys are lined up 18 inches apart from each other, communicating, working, passing things off between each other, there's something to it.
"It's a great group of five guys – they've been through some big games together. Some great comeback games, we've had a lot of successful games that we've struggled through that they've all played together and weathered it... We've got to do our part every week. It's a challenge every week. They've taken it on, they've done a good job and they're really a great group of guys to work with."
Position Breakdown
- Isaac Alarcon – 5th Season
- Aaron Banks – 4th Season
- Ben Bartch – 5th Season
- Jake Brendel – 8th Season
- Spencer Burford – 3rd Season
- Jon Feliciano – 10th Season
- Sebastian Gutierrez – 3rd Season
- Chris Hubbard – 11th Season
- Jarrett Kingston – 1st Season
- Briason Mays – 1st Season
- Colton McKivitz – 5th Season
- Jaylon Moore – 4th Season
- Drake Nugent – 1st Season
- Brandon Parker – 7th Season
- Dominick Puni – 1st Season
- Trent Williams – 15th Season
- Nick Zakelj – 3rd Season
Offensive Line Breakdown
Alarcon joined the 49ers on a Reserve/Future contract in January 2024.
The offensive lineman originally entered the NFL after signing with the Dallas Cowboys as part of the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program in 2020. A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Alarcon spent his four-year NFL career on the Cowboys practice squad as part of the program.
Banks is entering his fourth year in the NFL after being drafted with the 48th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He lines up at the left guard position and has logged 1,811 offensive snap counts in his career.
According to Pro Football Focus, Banks has only allowed 1.0 sack in his three years of playing for San Francisco, and didn't allow a single sack during the 2023 season.
Bartch is entering his fifth season in the NFL, and his second season with the 49ers. The offensive lineman was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round (116th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Bartch was signed to the 49ers roster in Week 12 of the 2023 season. Throughout his four-year career with the Jaguars (2020-23), he has appeared in 41 games (20 starts). In 2023, he appeared in a total of 13 games and made three starts.
Brendel is entering his eighth year in the NFL, and his fourth year with the 49ers. The offensive lineman originally entered the NFL by signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He then spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2016-18) and split some time between the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens in 2019.
Brendel joined the 49ers as a free agent in 2020. During his time in The Bay, Brendel has played in 50 games (34 starts) and nine postseason contests (six starts) at center. Brendel was also named an alternate for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games and won the Bobb McKittrick Award, which is given annually to the 49ers offensive lineman who best represents the courage, intensity and sacrifice displayed by the longtime offensive line coach during his 21 years of service to the 49ers.
"Brendel had to take over for Alex Mack in his first year and he's really starting to come into his own as a player," offensive line and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said during the 2024 State of the Franchise. "He does a good job running the group, he's very hard on himself and hard on the guys around him, so he's a great leader for the group."
Burford is entering his third year in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He lines up at the right guard position and has logged 1,590 offensive snap counts in his career.
Burford made 14 game appearances during the 2023 season with 13 starts.
Feliciano is entering his 10th season in the NFL, and his second season with the 49ers. The offensive lineman was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (128th overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Feliciano joined the 49ers as a free agent during the 2023 offseason. Throughout his nine-year NFL career with the Raiders (2015-18), Buffalo Bills (2019-21), New York Giants (2022) and 49ers (2023), he has appeared in 113 regular season games (61 starts) and 12 postseason contests (nine starts). In 2023 with San Francisco, Feliciano played 16 games (seven starts) and started all three postseason games at right guard.
The 49ers re-signed Feliciano to a one-year deal in March.
Gutierrez is entering his third season in the NFL, and his second season with the 49ers. The offensive lineman originally entered the NFL after signing with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Throughout his two-year career, he has spent time on the practice squad with the New England Patriots (2022), Las Vegas Raiders (2022-23) and Kansas City Chiefs (2023) and has appeared in one game with the Raiders. In 2023, Gutierrez joined the 49ers practice squad.
Hubbard is entering his 11th year in the NFL, and his first with the 49ers. The offensive lineman originally entered the NFL after signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
Throughout his 10-year career with the Steelers (2014-17), Cleveland Browns (2018-22) and Tennessee Titans (2023), he has appeared in 94 games (58 starts) as well as six postseason contests. In 2023, he started in nine games with the Titans along the offensive line. Hubbard joined the 49ers as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
Kingston was selected in the sixth round (215th overall) of this year's NFL Draft.
He appeared in 49 games (38 starts) over six seasons at Southern California (2023-24) and Washington State (2018-22). As a redshirt senior in 2023, Kingston started in 12 games on an offensive line that helped the Southern California offense average 469.7 yards per game, the 11th-most in the FBS. In 2022 at Washington State, he started in nine games and earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.
Mays joins the 49ers as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2024 season.
The offensive lineman appeared in 41 games (31 starts) over five seasons at Southern Mississippi (2021-23) and West Virginia (2018-20). As a redshirt senior in 2023, he appeared in 6 games on an offensive line that helped the Golden Eagles average 162.6 rushing yards per game, ranking sixth in the Sun Belt Conference. In 2022, Mays started in 11 contests and made the transition from center to tackle.
McKivitz is entering his fifth year in the NFL after being drafted in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He lines up at the right tackle position and has logged 1,479 offensive snap counts in his career.
Over the last four years, McKivitz has appeared in 45 games (22 starts) with the team. He has also appeared in eight postseason contests (three starts) for San Francisco. In 2023, McKivitz started all 17 regular season and three postseason games, helping the offense rank third in rushing yards per game (140.5) and finish tied for the most rushing touchdowns (27) in the NFL.
In March, the 49ers re-signed McKivitz to a one-year extension through the 2025 season.
Moore is entering his fourth year in the NFL after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He backs up Trent Williams at the left tackle position and has logged 555 offensive snap counts in his career.
Moore made 16 game appearances during the 2023 season with 2 starts, allowing just 1.0 sack.
Nugent joins the 49ers as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2024 season.
The offensive lineman appeared in 42 games (39 starts) over five seasons at Stanford (2019-22) and Michigan (2023). As a redshirt senior in 2023, he started all 15 games on an offensive line that helped the Michigan offense average 35.9 points per game and win the College Football Playoff National Championship, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors. As a redshirt junior in 2022, Nugent received All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors after starting in all 12 games.
Parker is entering his sixth year in the NFL, and his first with the 49ers. The offensive lineman was originally drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round (65th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Throughout his five-year career with the Raiders (2018-23), he has appeared in 59 games (33 starts) and started in one postseason contest. In 2023, Parker appeared in five games (one start) with Las Vegas. Parker joined the 49ers as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
Puni was selected in the third round (86th overall) of this year's NFL Draft.
He appeared in 42 games (38 starts) over six seasons at Central Missouri (2018-21) and Kansas (2022-23). As a redshirt senior in 2023, Puni started in 12 games and earned AP First-Team All-Big 12 honors. As a redshirt junior in 2022, he received an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after starting in 12 games.
Williams is entering his 14th year in the NFL, and his fifth year with the 49ers. The offensive lineman was originally drafted by Washington with the fourth-overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. During his 10 years with Washington (2010-19), Williams was selected to seven-straight Pro Bowls.
Williams joined the 49ers via trade from Washington in 2020. During his time in The Bay, Williams has played in 58 games (all starts) and nine postseason contests at left tackle. The offensive lineman has earned four more Pro Bowl recognitions during his time in San Francisco and received three-straight AP All-Pro honors (2021-23).
Pro Football Focus ranks Williams as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season. "The future Hall of Famer remains the gold standard at the position, as he put together another elite season in 2023 despite struggling with an ankle injury," author Zoltán Buday writes. "His 92.5 PFF grade ranked second among offensive tackles last year, and he was the only player at the position to earn run-blocking and pass-blocking grades above 84.0."
Zakelj is entering his third year in the NFL after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the 49ers.
The offensive lineman has made nine game appearances throughout his two seasons in The Bay.
