OK. After a long pause and after watching the Texans game. Here is my analysis of the Offensive Line.
Joe Staley - People think that we reached to grab Joe Staley, but I disagree, the guy was an immediate starter. He replaced a miserable tackle in Kwame Hariris right out of jump. Then we moved him to left tackle and despite the growing pains and the injuries, he emerged last years as the guy we thought he was. Joe is a very good pass blocker and a good run blocker, the problem was his health, should be as healthy as he was last year, we have another pro bowl and an arguable top 5 tackle. Dude is just now hitting his prime. He'll hold us down for the nest 5 years barring severe injury.
Grade: A-
Mike Iupati: Elite. Fast, strong, smart. Maybe the best pulling guard in the NFL. A fukking bully on the line. I can't say enough good things about this guy and he is not even close to being at his peak. He's a top 3 guard now and will only improve.
Grade: A
Jonathan Goodwin: A smart solid veteran presence. He will likely retire in a year or two, he can't beat father time. He's a good run and pass blocker but he lacks the athleticism to get to the 2nd level anymore and he get's beat by younger quicker D-linemen, but he was still a good pickup after losing David Baas. He is just keeping the seat warm until Daniel Kilgore likely takes his place.
Grade: C+
Alex Boone: Played well last year, I think he will succeed as a RG, but it will be a transition period. He can run block very well but he's a so-so pass blocker and that's being generous. He uses his hands well but has clumsy feet. But if a 6'7 bear of a man can get low enough to play guard, iy will ultimately pay off in spades
Grade: B-
Anthony Davis: I think we are too hard on this kid. He is the youngest starting right tackle in the NFL, and we knew he was raw when we drafted him. He's always been a very good run blocker, but he is a turnstile as a pass blocker. Despite that he improves every game and he pass blocked pretty well after the Ravens game for the most part. We could've taken the easy way out and moved him to right guard but he's a true tackle in my opinion. We just need to be patient. He has the ceiling to be an very good, if not great tackle.
Grade: B
Daniel Kilgore: Very young, versatile and can play multiple positions on the line. Has a killer instinct and is deceptively athletic. He has a lot of upside and was considered for the starting RG spot. We got a steal in drafting this kid and I think he will be a solid linemen for his career, I just hope it's with the 49ers.
Grade: B-
Leonard Davis: Very good lineman for his career. He's clearly a year or two away from retiring, but he is still a very good run blocker and can start at G/T should one of our guys gets hurt. I wish he would lose 20 lbs, he'd be a starter, but still it was a good Free Agent pickup and we need some veterans on our very young O-Line.
Grade: C+
Jason Slowey: I think he has the potential to be our starting Center in maybe 2 or 3 years. Workout warrior, extremely high work ethic. I think he will overachieve relative to his draft pick. He also used to be a track player, may be very athletic as well. I must say, he is an intriguing pick, coming from an offensive line enthusiast such as myself.
Grade: C but a B for potential
Joe Looney: Unfortunately he got hurt, and I haven't seen much of him, he was a good player in college but for the time being.
Grade: INC
Chase Beeler: Practice squad guy, honestly, I think he's a bit to small to be a pro guard and I don't see him moving up, he's just a warm body. He was an average player in college.
Grade: D-
Mike Person: He played a few snaps in the preseason this year, he could be a sleeper type player for us. Dude is a hard worker and has overcome adversity his whole life. Oddly enough, he is the important factor in Alex Boones development. He needs to prove he can be a backup tackle, so that Boone can play all his snaps a guard. Keep an eye on this one
Grade: D+ but C for potential down the line.
Kenny Wiggins: Camp body, his odds of making the team are slim to none, but I will lean toward slim since we have questionable depth at OL.
Grade: F
Al Netter: He was a solid lineman at Northwestern, but I think he lacks the athleticism to succeed at the NFL level. He's a good run-blocker based on his video I saw. As a pass blocker, he has decent feet but he lacks a good punch to discourage pass rushers. He's a 3 year project at best. He will go to the practice squad but he will likely get signed by another team that is more desperate for linemen.
Grade: D-
but yes!