Why Erik Pears Is San Francisco 49ers' Best Bet at Right Tackle

The San Francisco 49ers’ starting right tackle job wasn’t supposed to be up for grabs.

The Niners had Anthony Davis, the 11th pick of the 2010 draft, the 25-year old road-grader, one of the best right tackles in the NFL. They had him signed through 2019.

Davis retired last week. He tweeted that he plans to return after “a year or so” but, as far as this season is concerned, he’s history.

Someone needs to take his place. Who will it be? Here are the top three candidates.

Trenton Brown, Rookie

The 49ers’ 2015 seventh-round draft pick, Trent Brown, was the standout rookie during the Niners’ OTAs.

Davis had not yet officially retired, but he was a no-show at OTAs. Brown took his place in the Niners’ first-team offense. And he played well, especially in one-on-one pass-rush drills.

“Aside from his enormous stature, the one characteristic of Brown’s that stands out on the practice field are his nimble feet,” wrote Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “He said he owes it to his earlier sports experiences, as well as daily offseason work with an Agility Ladder.”

Brown also has 36-inch arms, the longest arms on the 49ers. He has the necessary traits to develop into a starting right tackle, "develop” being the key word.

“He’s developing,” said head coach Jim Tomsula Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve got some things to go there. We just have to see where that’s at.”

Specifically, Brown is getting stronger. To start on the line of scrimmage in the NFL, you have to be one of the strongest players on your team. Brown probably is one of the weaker offensive linemen on the Niners at this point.

That’s not his fault. He’s a rookie. This offseason is his first exposure to an NFL weight-training program. He’s probably spending more time in the weight room now that he ever has.

Brown has a better chance to start at right tackle in 2016.

Alex Boone, Sixth Year

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Next to Joe Staley, Alex Boone probably is the second-best offensive lineman remaining on the 49ers. He can play guard or tackle, meaning he can replace Mike Iupati or Anthony Davis.

Right now, it seems Boone will replace Iupati. “We’re working (Boone) at left guard position,” Tomsula said Wednesday afternoon. “You start talking about creating some depth—the stance is the same if you did left tackle, so you’re footwork’s the same…and he’s comfortable there.”

Let me translate: Boone is the backup left tackle. The left guard plays with the same footwork as the left tackle. By playing left guard, Boone is preparing himself to take over for Staley if Staley gets hurt. Smart.

There’s another benefit to playing Boone at left guard. In a gap-blocking scheme, the left guard is the most important run-blocker on the line. He is the puller, the one who runs and blocks on the move.

Boone was a terrific puller last season from the right guard position on counter plays. From left guard, he can be the primary puller on power plays.

“We’re not solely a zone scheme,” Tomsula clarified Wednesday afternoon. Playing Boone at left guard allows the Niners to keep the power plays in the playbook.

Erik Pears, Ninth Year

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

The 49ers signed Erik Pears to a two-year contract this year. He was the starting right guard for the Buffalo Bills last season, but he was a starting tackle every other year of his career.

“I really like Pears as a right tackle,” Tomsula said Wednesday afternoon. “That’s what he’s played. That’s what we’ve evaluated him most at. I like the way he was moving. But the biggest thing with Pears since he’s gotten here is with his weight room, he’s bigger and stronger than he’s ever been.”

Pears can hold his ground at the line of scrimmage. No one will push him around—he has been working out in NFL weight-training programs since 2006. He is much stronger than 22-year old rookie Trent Brown. That won’t change overnight.

The 49ers gave up 52 sacks last year. Their right tackles—Davis and Jonathan Martin—gave up nine of those sacks, per Pro Football Focus. Pears never has given up more than four sacks in a season. As a pass protector, he should be an upgrade over Martin and Davis.

Pears is the 49ers' best bet at right tackle in 2015.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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