There was a bit of a surprise coming out of the San Francisco 49ers’ practice at the SAP Performance Facility on Tuesday.
Presumed starting left guard Ben Bartch exited practice with an apparent arm injury according to the Athletic’s Matt Barrows. Earlier in camp when Bartch was out, Nick Zakelj stepped in as the first-team left guard. That wasn’t the case Tuesday.
Instead of Zakelj it was rookie seventh-round pick Connor Colby grabbing the starters reps for the first time.
Colby played well in his preseason debut and apparently did enough to work his way into the mix at left guard. It’s not necessarily that he’s going to push a healthy Bartch, who immediately stepped in as the starter upon returning from injury. However, if Bartch’s injury is serious and keeps him out into the regular season, it isn’t a guarantee that Zakelj is the player who steps in for him.
There was a lot to like with Colby as a prospect. He has good size at 6-6, 309 pounds and he played a ton of football at the University of Iowa. In four seasons he played in 53 games with 50 starts primarily at right guard and right tackle. That he would be able to step in and credibly play on the offensive line in the NFL isn’t completely out of the picture.
It’s also a sign the club wasn’t happy with what they saw from Zakelj in his stint as the first-team LG while Bartch was out. The sixth-round pick from the 2022 draft was moved to second-team right guard and third-string center according to Barrows.
The starting left guard job was the only real starting battle for the 49ers entering camp. It looked like it was wrapped up once Bartch entered the mix, but with Bartch dealing with another injury it appears things may open back up and another rookie could become a key player for San Francisco this season.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers 7th-round pick makes surprising entry into battle for starting job
Reporting by Kyle Madson, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
