The 49ers may not be through bolstering the interior of their offensive line. When the draft begins on April 26, San Francisco could bring in another guard if the right player is available.
But for now, head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch like what they see of the competition for two starting jobs at guard in 2018.
Speaking to reporters at the NFL’s annual meetings in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Shanahan says former Cowboy Jonathan Cooper, signed in free agency, is the leader to start at right guard, with Laken Tomlinson the man to beat at left guard. Former Stanford standout Johua Garnett, a 49ers’ first-round pick in 2016, will compete against both.
Garnett sat out last season because of injury, but was asked by the team to work on conditioning and strength training to be a better fit with Shanahan’s system, which requires quick, mobile offensive linemen.
“We challenged Josh,” Shanahan said. “We wanted him to take the year to get his body in the best shape possible. Seeing him at the end of the year in December, it looked like he took advantage of his time off. He got his body fat down and his weight down. I think he’s in the best shape of his life, and he’s given himself a chance to help us this year.”
Lynch agreed.
“We’ll continue to watch him, but he did a great job embracing the time he had last year to improve himself as a player,” Lynch told Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “He really remade his body and we’re really proud of the work he’s done and looking forward to seeing him get after it in the offseason.”
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Lynch also said Tomlinson, who came in after the season began, improved as the year went on. Cooper, meanwhile, had his best season as a pro with Dallas after the former first-round pick disappointed in a few previous stops.
“He played very well, in our minds, for Dallas last year,” said Lynch. “And he kind of resurrected his career. He’s battled injuries, but we really like the way he played and we feel he’s a very good fit for what we do. So we were pleased to have him.”
Lynch told reporters, however, that the 49ers will be on the lookout during the draft to improve at every position, including guard.
“We’re always looking to get better there,” he said.
