The 49ers were disappointed with the way they ran the football in 2014, and hope to be better in 2015.
They’ll have a new No. 1 running back (Carlos Hyde), a new offensive line coach (Chris Foerster) and possibly as many as three new starters up front at left guard, right guard and right tackle.
But one constant the 49ers can build around is left offensive tackle Joe Staley.
Since being taken in the first round by the 49ers in the 2007 draft, the athletic, 6-foot-6, 306-pound Staley has been picked to the Pro Bowl four times and has been an All-Pro first-teamer.
He’s been a solid pass protector of Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick during his years in San Francisco, but he’s perhaps an even better run blocker. The former high school receiver and hurdler is quick and athletic enough to not only make blocks at the line of scrimmage, but downfield, too, after pulling or making his initial hit.
Though the 49ers line in general was disappointing in 2014, Staley was named to the All-NFC West team in 2014 by the analytics website Pro Football Focus.
Wrote PFF analyst Rick Drummond: “Staley finds himself ranked among the Top 5 tackles in the league for the third straight year, with this season looking more like his 2012, his run blocking highlighting his success.”
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Now, as the 49ers prepare to open their 2015 training camp, Staley has been recognized for his excellence as a run blocker by Robert Mays of Grantland, the ESPN.com website.
After analyzing film and statistics, Mays ranks Staley among the 10 best offensive linemen in the NFL in 2014.
“Unlike some of the guys ahead of him on this list, Staley is a great, pure run blocker,” writes Mays. “No single trait can explain it, although it starts with willingness.”
Certainly, Staley has voiced his love for smashmouth football in the past. It’s his forte. And, though the 49ers are likely to use more zone-blocking schemes in 2015 under Foerster, Staley is happy the 49ers won’t go away completely from their power-blocking scheme of the past four years under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
“We’re still going to do what we’ve done well here,” he told the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows this offseason. “What’s worked for us has been power running. It’s what we know.”
And, according to Mays, it’s easy to see why Staley has been – and should continue to be – so good at opening holes for ballcarriers.
“My favorite part about Staley … is how he uses his hands,” writes Mays. “His punch as a run blocker is just violent. There’s no other way to describe it. He jolts defenders instantly and, more often than not, he gets them in the perfect position, too. Few things sound less enjoyable than knowing Staley’s intentions and then feeling those hands clamped upon you.”
