Of all the spots that could potentially bring trouble to the 49ers this NFL season, the offensive line is one of the big concerns. So it was bad news this week when two of San Francisco’s depth pieces for that unit—2022 practice-squadder Keith Ismael and 2023 undrafted signee Ilm Manning, both of whom played well in camp—were claimed off waivers.
Adding a bit to the sting: They were both claimed by the Cardinals, an NFC West rival.
Ismael, who is 25, came into camp with more experience behind him, having been a fifth-round pick of Washington in 2020. He played 18 games for the Commanders in 2020 and 2021, and started five games.
Manning had been a college star at Hawaii, starting at left tackle in his freshman year (one of only four freshmen to do so for a major program). He was first-team All-Mountain West as a senior and played in the East-West Shrine Bowl before going unpicked in this year’s draft.
49ers Offensive Line Is Still Uncertain
The Niners are heading into unknown waters with their offensive line group, having lost starting tackle Mike McGlinchey (who signed on with the Broncos) and flex lineman Daniel Brunskill to the Titans. The team did not make any major moves to replace those guys.
Instead, the team is putting added pressure on 2020 fifth-round pick Colton McKivitz, who has spent his first three seasons shuffling back and forth between the 53-man roster and the practice squad. McKivitz has played 28 games and made five starts in three seasons with the Niners, and received a contract extension back in March.
Last month, he expressed gratitude for the long road it’s taken him to earn the starting job after McGlinchey’s departure.
“I could not be standing here,” McKivitz said of waiting behind McGlinchey for his chance. “That’s just part of it. It’s taught me a lot about being a pro and learning from some of the vets. Just getting advice from some of those guys and teaching me the ways to be prepared for when I get my chance. Now’s the time. I’m taking full advantage of what they taught me.”
Niners Brass Believes in Colton McKivitz
The 49ers got some criticism back in April when they declined to address depth along the offensive line in the draft. Part of that, according to GM John Lynch, was the fact that there were no perfect fits for when San Francisco was picking.
But part of that was the fact that the team has remained high on McKivitz, who earned a gold helmet—meaning he was projected to have elite ability—ahead of the 2020 draft.
“The gold helmet is a hard standard up there,” Lynch explained, per 49ersWebZone.com. “We give it to very few people. Colton was one of those when he came out of West Virginia. I think, when he got here, we didn’t necessarily see that all the time because he was shy. It took him a little while, but I think over time, as his confidence grew, you started to see all those traits and qualities. The spirit, as we call it, really started to show.
“And then Colton’s sneaky talented as well, and we like him a lot as a player.”
Niners Lose 2 Promising Offensive Linemen to Rival Cardinals