Last year, the 49ers saw an unexpected battle emerge at right guard. After watching Spencer Burford start for much of the season, versatile veteran interior lineman Jon Feliciano emerged as a better starting option near the end of the season and ended up grading out as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-best guard in the NFL (subscription required). The team has prepped for another position battle between the two this offseason, throwing third-round rookie Dominick Puni into the mix, as well. 
Feliciano should be the favorite for the job. Although run game coordinator and offensive line coach Chris Foerster doesn’t see Feliciano as the most-talented option, his experience and consistency have been proven to get the job done for San Francisco. After earning the starting job late in the year last season, Feliciano started all three postseason games for the 49ers, as well. Only an injury saw the reemergence of Burford in the starting lineup, and it eventually resulted in Burford allowing a critical pressure to end the team’s hopes of winning the Super Bowl.
Still, Burford is going to be given every opportunity to win the job back. According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, Foerster sees Burford as the most talented of the group. “We’re just looking for that consistency,” Foerster told the media. “Maybe it comes from Spencer this year. Obviously, he’s the most talented of the players. I think he’s as talented or more than Puni. Puni will push that from that. And Jon’s just a guy that is a veteran, good player that knows how to get it done.”
The 2022 fourth-round pick out of UTSA had been a starter in each of his first two seasons until getting benched for Feliciano. Even after losing his job as the starter, Foerster continued to find ways to get Burford on the field. If Burford can find that consistency that Foerster craves, he could find himself back in the starting lineup in 2024.
As Foerster mentions, though, Puni will push both players in terms of talent and consistency. Bookending a single season at left guard with four years at tackle while at Kansas, Puni may not have the ability to start at tackle in the NFL, but many view him as a starter on the interior at the next level. Unfortunately, Puni played all but seven games on the left side of the line in college, so he’s currently being slotted as the backup to left guard Aaron Banks. If he continues to show starting ability and consistency and can make the transition to the right side of the line, he could push both Feliciano and Burford for the starting right guard position.
Foerster and the 49ers have plenty of options. Feliciano showed last year that he has the stuff to get the job done as a starter and has lots of motivation to keep the job in what could be his final NFL season. If he does lose the starting position, though, his versatile experience across the interior of the offensive line should help him stay active as the effective sixth-man on the offensive line, a role he held for much of last season. If he does lose the starting role, it will be because one of the two options that Foerster sees as more talented have demonstrated enough consistency to be confidently slotted in as a starter.
While subsequent tests will reveal more details, the organization believes Bartch suffered a Lisfranc injury. Shanahan told reporters that he isn’t confident the offensive lineman will be able to return in time for the postseason (per Barrows).
