Back to Skule Season: How Justin Skule will Benefit from George Kittle's Trainer
Last season when the 49ers lost Joe Staley due to injury, they didn't miss a beat on offense due to the help of now second-year tackle Justin Skule. The 49ers drafted Justin Skule out of Vanderbilt in the 2019 NFL Draft in the sixth round, and he helped the 49ers to a record of 8-0 during his eight starts.
Skule is a tackle standing at 6'6" weighing in at 315 pounds. During his rookie season, he held his own against Myles Garrett, the second-highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL. Skule is a good run blocker and solid in pass protection -- he simply needed to add strength in order to drop his anchor during pass protection. That is where an offseason of working out with George Kittle's trainer will help.
Josh Cuthbert from Alpha Strength said he "can't wait for Skule to strike someone in a pass set." Talking with Cuthbert, he was able to tell me "Skule has added 200 pounds between his bench, front squat, and deadlifts. He had a 100-pound front squat personal best increase that has drastically increased his mobility and comfort in his stance allowing him to be more explosive."
When Staley's retirement was up in the air before the draft, I thought the 49ers had his heir replacement in Skule. He got to learn behind Staley and will now be the 49ers swing tackle for the 2020 season behind Trent Williams, whom the 49ers acquired via trade with the Washington Football Team, and Mike McGlinchey.
As a swing tackle, Skule needs to stay ready as Trent Williams has an injury history and has missed time throughout his career. Also, McGlinchey suffered an injury last year.
Williams will command a huge payday next offseason. The salary cap could drop in 2021, which could be a big problem for the 49ers as they need to extend many of their key players. 49ers don't need to re-sign Williams to the massive contract he will command. They should allow Justin Skule to take over left tackle duties in his third season when he will be at least $20 million cheaper than Willaims.
The 49ers could save so much money and use it extend other players while keeping a really good left tackle who has playing experience and has been mentored by two elite tackles in Joe Staley and Trent Williams. Justin Skule will also be just 25 when Williams will be 33 next season.
Why will Skule succeed at left tackle? He's an athletic run-blocking lineman who has a good base when in pass sets. What he lacked was strength. The 49ers didn't plan on him playing last year -- it was going to be a redshirt season while he added play strength in order to compete in the NFL at a higher level. How did Skule fix his weakness? He went straight to Kittle's strength coach for 22 weeks and didn't miss a day.
The 49ers could have found a gem in the 6th round.
