The San Francisco 49ers have a new name to watch in their offensive line competition this offseason. After losing guards Ben Bartch and Spencer Burford in free agency, the team is shaking up the depth chart with an unexpected contender.

While veterans Robert Jones and Brett Toth were brought in to compete with 2025 seventh-round pick Connor Colby for the starting left guard spot between Trent Williams and Jake Brendel, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak recently revealed that rookie Carver Willis will also enter the mix—practicing at left guard.

Willis, 24, brings an intriguing college resume. He spent five seasons at Kansas State before transferring to Washington for his final year, racking up 1,179 snaps at right tackle, 584 at left tackle, and just two at left guard. The position switch is significant, but Kubiak is optimistic about the rookie's adaptability.

"The biggest transition [for Willis] is probably, [at] guard, there's always more moving parts," Kubiak explained. "Guards, you have to worry about different techniques, different alignments. There's a little bit more to think about playing guard, but we're confident he can do it. Just the transition to the NFL is inherently going to be challenging, but that's why we drafted the guy. We think he's a really bright guy."

Despite facing competition with more NFL experience, Willis has a legitimate shot. None of the veteran options have shown standout performances in their previous opportunities, leaving the door wide open for a Day-3 pick to seize the starting role as a rookie. For 49ers fans, this is a development worth watching closely as training camp approaches.