Not long ago, Niner Noise wrote up a piece about the San Francisco 49ers' seventh-round selection, offensive guard Connor Colby, and why he had the longest of long odds to make the 53-man roster in year one.
Happy to state that conclusion was wrong.
The Iowa product distinguished himself during the Niners' 30-9 preseason Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos, receiving some notable reviews on social media for his efforts.
Going through 49ers film and man Connor Colby looks good!
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) August 11, 2025
Indeed, Colby secured San Francisco's top blocking grade from Pro Football Focus for the game (77.8) on 41 snaps, suggesting he's going to be far more than just a late-round draft addition who participated in training camp with the hope of merely hanging around on the practice squad in year one.
OK, so it's just one game, right? And head coach Kyle Shanahan prefers veterans over rookies with regard to his offensive line.
Well, not nececssarily.
Connor Colby made a clear roster statement, and 49ers are noticing
San Francisco essentially has only one starting job open for its O-line: left guard.
Ben Bartch is the presumed starter, but Colby appears to have taken a massive leap toward being the primary No. 2 on the depth chart, beating out veteran incumbent Nick Zakelj for this role. During practice on Tuesday, Bartch suffered what appeared to be a minor injury, which was subsequently followed by Colby assuming first-team duties:
#49ers LG Ben Bartch departed practice midway through team period. Unclear why. Rookie Connor Colby stepped in for him to finish the session.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 12, 2025
Impressive.
Originally, Colby was viewed as a project who needed plenty of pass-blocking refinement. Considering the 49ers didn't draft an O-lineman prior to taking Colby in Round 7, one could have concluded he was merely an afterthought to proverbially "check off a box" at a position that ultimately needed attention.
Now, though, signs are pointing toward Colby being a valuable component, perhaps a key reserve in support of both Bartch and right tackle Dominick Puni.
Provided the rookie stays on that trajectory, it'll be hard to keep him off the 53-man roster.
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