Niners' Chris Foerster on lack of first-round OL: Invest in players who 'touch the ball and score touchdowns' 

Any projection of offseason needs for the San Francisco 49ers almost always had “offensive line” at or close to the top of the list. However, this wasn’t necessarily the view of those within the organization.

The Niners didn’t import a top-tier free agent lineman and waited until the third round of the draft to snag guard Dominick Puni, then added Jarrett Kingston in the sixth. Instead, they used a first-rounder on receiver Ricky Pearsall and a second on cornerback Renardo Green.

Game coordinator and offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, concurs with giving priority to playmakers over linemen.

Foerster expressed his personal viewpoint on Wednesday, stating, “In my opinion, one should invest in players who have the ability to handle the ball and score touchdowns,” according to the team’s official transcript. He further mentioned, “There is a variety of players, from the second to even the fifth round, where we can find potential starting offensive linemen.”

The Niners are set to return starters Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Jon Feliciano and Colton McKivitz. San Francisco acquired Williams in a 2020 trade for two mid-round picks. Banks was a second-rounder, Brendel a former undrafted free agent who bounced around early in his career, Feliciano a low-priced 2023 free agent, and McKivitz a 2020 fifth-round pick.

Foerster recommended that unless you’re selecting the absolute best, it’s preferable to pursue playmakers rather than linemen.

“Can you consider drafting them at any stage? Yes, you can, like Trent Williams for instance,” he explained. “Choose a draft where you can acquire a game-changer. There are plenty of players that can significantly impact the game, those who handle the ball, even in the second, third, or fourth rounds, or at least in the second and third rounds. And of course, in the first round. A player who handles the ball can indeed bring substantial changes to the game.”

We have previously discussed the significant role of the right guard and how we can often find exceptional fourth and fifth-round draft picks for this position. The real question is how much of a disparity exists between pick 34 and pick 54 in terms of offensive line play? This is the constant balancing act we face in drafting.

The fact that Foerster currently works under Kyle Shanahan in a system that enhances the performance of the offensive line is beneficial. The Niners are confident in their ability to obtain quality performance from linemen who might have difficulties in other settings.

Foerster openly acknowledged that there exists a threshold in offensive line play. If a player’s performance dips slightly below this threshold, it creates a significant issue, like a player being unable to block anyone. This situation becomes a major problem. However, as long as players manage to meet or slightly exceed this threshold, the situation remains manageable. He explained that they have many strategies to support players, such as chipping, sliding lines, double-teaming the best rusher, and other mechanisms to assist a lineman. However, if a player fails to get open, catch the ball, or run, then they face a real problem. Foerster stressed the importance of caution in offensive line play, emphasizing the need to have about 6 to 8 players who meet or exceed the performance threshold, which he acknowledged as a challenge.

For Foerster, pursuing game-breaking talent take can a simple play the distance, like Deebo Samuel, makes an offense more dangerous and difficult to defend.

“Do we need five first-round picks in the front row to succeed? I’m not sure that’s necessary,” he stated. “Our past experiences with running the ball and protecting the quarterback don’t suggest that. We simply don’t have five first-rounders, and that’s a fact. However, even when our right tackle is struggling, a short pass to Deebo can result in a 60-yard touchdown. Sure, the right tackle’s block could have contributed, but if the receiver gets tackled after five yards, we wouldn’t have that touchdown. So while we can appreciate the right tackle’s effort, the ultimate outcome depends on the ball carrier’s ability to score. This is the constant trade-off we’re dealing with.”

The team-building approach of the Niners perfectly mirrors Foerster’s remarks. They rely on their system to balance out any disparity in talent, while amassing resources to sustain their streak of deep playoff runs.