The San Francisco 49ers picked up former Detroit Lions offensive guard Laken Tomlinson in a pinch early in 2017 just ahead of Week 1 that year, prompted by a season-ending knee injury to fellow guard Joshua Garnett.
Tomlinson managed to start all but one game with the Niners his first year with the team. And while he struggled early after coming to San Francisco, Tomlinson’s play gradually got better with time.
After all, Tomlinson was learning head coach Kyle Shanahan’s playbook on the spot, not having been afforded the time to absorb in during training camp and offseason activities.