One of the most intriguing position battles for the San Francisco 49ers heading into training camp will be at left guard, the lone unsettled spot along the team's offensive line.

San Francisco selected Carver Willis in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Although Willis played tackle in college, the 49ers are transitioning him to guard. The team also added veteran Robert Jones this offseason to compete for the starting role.


"It's a different game inside in little ways," Willis said. "Things get on you quicker. Guys are a little bit bigger, so that adjustment, I think, will be interesting."

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle recently suggested that it would be somewhat disappointing if Willis does not emerge as the Week 1 starter.

"It would be at least a mild disappointment if Willis isn't the season-opening starter at left guard," Branch wrote. "If the 49ers felt strongly about his top competitors, Connor Colby and Robert Jones, they wouldn't have selected Willis."

However, right tackle Colton McKivitz believes Connor Colby should not be overlooked in the competition. The 2025 seventh-round draft pick experienced an up-and-down rookie season but—at times—flashed potential while filling in at left guard.

In six starts last season, Colby struggled in pass protection, never earning a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade higher than 47.7. Still, he showed promise as a run blocker, posting grades of 71.9 and 80.3 in two of those starts.


McKivitz believes the experience Colby gained during his rookie campaign will help him take a significant leap in Year 2.

"I think Connor Colby's come a long way," McKivitz said on Thursday. "I think you never know how your rookie season is going to go. It can be really good or really bad, and you learn a lot. You're kind of flying by the seat of your pants, and you don't really have a whole lot of technique. You're just thrown in, and it's a whirlwind.

"So to see him play a lot faster right now—obviously it's OTAs, we're not hitting. We'll obviously see in July, but to see him kind of come out of his rookie season and take a breath, and then now come in a little more rejuvenated, understands the scheme a little more, to see him come out and play faster, it's good to see, just a great guy."

McKivitz also acknowledged that the battle for the starting left guard job will be highly competitive once training camp begins.

"Obviously, you're going to have Rob Jones, another explosive guy coming out of Miami," McKivitz said. "So it's going to be a fun battle in July for that spot, but I think we've got some guys who can fill in that role."

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