49ers Ceiling on Offense Hinges on Interior Offensive Line

2019 was an electric year for the 49ers' offense with their stout running game and creative play-calling. Those two things made the 49ers the No. 2 scoring team in the league.

But the reality is they were never able to reach their ceiling in 2019. The 49ers left a lot on the table when it came to fully utilizing the offense. That may sound insane considering how efficient that offense was last season, but that is because the thought of them improving is scary.

San Francisco can definitely be a stronger offense and see its max potential reached. There is still more to that offense's abilities that can be tapped into.

So what will make the San Francisco 49ers' offense reach its ceiling in 2020?

The key for the 49ers to unlock their potential lies with the interior offensive line. For clarification, that part of the line includes both the guards and the center. It was by far the Achilles heel of the offense, which caused the Niners to lose two games including the Super Bowl.

Now some of you may believe that Jimmy Garoppolo is the true key for the offense to reach its ceiling. He does play a part in this, but if the interior is not solidified then his improvements will be moot. The same goes for Kyle Shanahan should he continue to build upon himself.

The engine to every offense are the big guys up front. Without adequate performances from this group, an offense will become stagnant. A perfect example is how the interior offensive line performed against the Falcons and Chiefs. Both games led to losses with clear faults lying in the interior.

Now, starting center Weston Richburg was not involved in those games. He was performing at a high-level before sustaining a season ending injury Week 10. Backup Ben Garland filled in nicely, but was better as a run blocker than a pass protector. San Francisco should see improvements at center assuming Richburg is healthy, which always is a gamble.

Left guard Laken Tomlinson is actually the brightest of the bunch given how consistent he is. There aren't too many blunders that emerge from his side, though he will have lapses now and again. Tomlinson still needs to clean some errors as a pass protector if the 49ers ever want to rely on Garoppolo to drop back in critical moments.

Right guard is the critical factor here. That is why the 49ers released Mike Person and are now set to have a training-camp battle at the position. The players who are slated to be the starter are Daniel Brunskill and Tom Compton. Becoming the starter at right guard is Brunskill's to lose, because he is already embedded with the group.

In fact, he should be the starter because there is no way that Compton is the better option. He is no different from Person, the original starter the 49ers just released. Brunskill is just better in every facet and is worth the roll of the dice. He has paid off so far when the 49ers inserted him at three different positions last season.

The Niners are looking at two upgrades to start the season with Richburg and Brunskill. That alone will have the interior offensive line playing better. And if Tomlinson can make a bit of an improvement, then they will be soaring towards their ceiling on offense.