The San Francisco 49ers are chasing a championship in 2024, which means choosing the right player for every single roster spot is a crucial task.
Though the 49ers don't have to wonder whether stars like Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle will make the team, there are still other big decisions to make on offense. The offensive line may be priority number one among those decisions.
With a deep and talented group vying for a projected nine roster spots, the 49ers are going to have to separate youth from experience, while also deciding whether to prioritize veteran free-agent pickups or their draft picks.
One insider believes that one late-round pick has made a big enough impression to seal his spot come final roster cuts.
Nick Wagoner, the 49ers beat reporter for ESPN, released his final roster projections on Saturday, and he predicted that sixth-round rookie guard Jarrett Kingston will earn a spot on the offensive line depth chart over 11th-year veteran Chris Hubbard.
"Rookie Kingston is also intriguing and though it's hard to find a spot for him, the guess is he sticks over Chris Hubbard, who can make it through to practice squad," Wagoner said.
Kingston, 24, could be a late-round steal for San Francisco. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder had a six-year collegiate career at Washington State and Southern California before finally declaring for the draft in 2024. In training camp, though, he has evidently impressed.
It would still be a surprise on paper, though, to see Kingston chosen over Hubbard, who has played in 94 NFL games going back to 2014. He played four years with the Cleveland Browns, five with the Pittsburgh Steelers, then a one-year stop in 2023 with the Tennessee Titans.
Though the 49ers likely hope some combination of Spencer Burford, Aaron Banks, and Dominick Puni can fill out their weekly starting guard spots, it's important to have trustworthy depth at the position.
And if Wagoner has an accurate read on the situation, Kingston may prove to be the more valuable piece for the 49ers long-term.
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