SANTA CLARA–The 49ers want recent acquisition Laken Tomlinson to contribute immediately along the offensive line.
But maximizing his potential in a short period of time hasn’t exactly been Tomlinson’s strong suit since he entered the league.
A 2015 first round draft choice of the Detroit Lions, Tomlinson was acquired by San Francisco 10 days ago in exchange for a 2019 fifth round draft choice. Though he’s just two full seasons into his NFL career, the Lions were willing to part ways with Tomlinson in a deal that highlights their disappointment in the Duke product’s ability to assimilate to the professional level.
It’s not often teams give up on first round draft choices just two years into their career, but that’s essentially what Detroit did, despite the fact that Tomlinson started 24 games for the Lions over the past 24 months. The Lions’ loss, of course, could become the 49ers’ gain. It appears, however, that if the 49ers have the chance to see that come to fruition, it may take longer than they had hoped.
Tomlinson’s name was listed on the 49ers’ inactive sheet prior to Sunday’s game, which means San Francisco will battle with Carolina with just three guards on the team’s depth chart. Zane Beadles will remain the starter at left guard, Brandon Fusco will start at right guard, and undrafted rookie Erik Magnuson will provide depth along the offensive front.
As a player, learning an entirely different scheme and preparing to play a game in a span of 10 days is an extraordinarily difficult task, and it’s one that Tomlinson was not able to accomplish. Perhaps he’ll be ready to suit up in week two when San Francisco travels to Seattle, but it’s unlikely Tomlinson will go from the inactive list to the starting lineup in a span of seven days.
Though Tomlinson was acquired as insurance for the 49ers’ offensive line when the franchise began to fear Joshua Garnett would need to be placed on injured reserve, the ultimate goal for head coach Kyle Shanahan is to be able to insert Tomlinson into the lineup as a starter and have him provide an upgrade over either Beadles or Fusco.
At least for now, the 6-foot-3, 323-pound guard will be forced to take in the 49ers’ offense from the sidelines before proving he has enough of a grasp on San Francisco’s playbook to push his way onto the field.
While it shouldn’t take long for Tomlinson to surpass a player like Magnuson, an undrafted free agent, on the depth chart, it may require a few weeks of consistency at practice before the 49ers are able to pencil him in atop the depth chart.