What the 49ers Offensive Line Needs Most

The 49ers offensive line needs lots of things.

It needs a center. It needs a right guard. It needs a right tackle who weighs more than 300 pounds and actually blocks people during pass plays.

Technically, it needs a left tackle, too, unless the 49ers re-sign Trent Williams, which they haven't done yet.

But there's something the offensive line needs more than all those things. More than anything.

Leadership.

It walked out the door when Joe Staley retired. He was the leader of the offensive line. He was the guy who told people when they weren't playing well enough. He was the guys who held Mike McGlinchey and everyone else accountable for their performance and professionalism.

Williams isn't a leader. That may be part of the reason he never has played for a winner. He seems to care only about himself, not the play of his teammates. Which is fine for a wide receiver. But a left tackle is part of a five-man unit that has to work together.

McGlinchey isn't a leader, either. He's a rah-rah guy who says the right things when the team is playing well, but becomes defensive when he plays poorly. Says he's not doing as bad as people think. And that's not how leaders talk.

A leader could help McGlinchey get his career back on track. A leader could allow Williams to be himself.

Atlanta Falcons center Alex Mack is a leader, and a free agent. He's 35, and arguably was the best center of the past decade. Plus he played for Kyle Shanahan from 2015 to 2016. And he went to Cal, so he might like to return to the Bay Area.

If the 49ers can afford him, he would be perfect.