Niners Nation
While there is a lot of gloom around the 49ers after the weight of their injury issues finally told in a Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, there are still a lot of bright spots on a team that has made a 3-1 start.
One such bright spot is on the 49er offensive line, where San Francisco has gotten improved play from a tackle often maligned for his performances since becoming a starter in 2023.
Colton McKivitz gave the 49ers average starter level play at best in his first season as their right tackle in 2023, when he was consistently identified as a weakness that could be attacked by opposing defenses.
Yet his play has gradually improved and the 49ers rewarded him with a three-year, $45 million extension the day after their season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks.
That move may have raised some eyebrows, but McKivitz is vindicating the decision with his play this season.
Indeed, after giving up 59 pressures in 2023 and 36 in 2024, McKivitz has surrendered only six through the first four games, with four of them coming on true pass sets, per Pro Football Focus.
He has conceded one quarterback hit and one sack, which came in the Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The lack of pressure he has given up to this point suggests a player continuing on an upward trajectory that has him among the best pass-blocking tackles in the game through four weeks of the season.
McKivitz ranks ninth among tackles with at least 100 pass block snaps in PFF pass block grade, with the eight players above him all left tackles. He has — at least by that measure — been the best pass-blocking right tackle in the NFL to this point.
PFF grades have their critics and should not certainly not be taken as gospel, but that assessment of McKivitz’s play is backed up by the fact he also ranks 10th among tackles in pass block efficiency, which measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting towards sacks.
Simply put, McKivitz is not giving up pressure at a high rate all. He has become a picture of solidity for the 49ers in that respect and is well on his way to justifying his latest deal.
Things could soon turn but, for a team that has often received criticism for not ploughing enough resources into the offensive line, the 49ers’ not insignificant investment into a player they have developed since 2020 appears to be paying off.
There are problems for San Francisco on both sides of the ball, but right now McKivitz should be viewed as a success story of the 2025 campaign.
