For the first time since the beginning of the 2017 season, the 49ers will have a new starting left guard. Laken Tomlinson held down that spot better than the Niners could have ever hoped for when they traded a future fifth-round pick for Tomlinson on August 31, 2017.
The best offensive lines aren’t filled with All-Pros at each position but rather a continuity and cohesiveness that can’t be mimicked. Banks has big shoes to fill in replacing Tomlinson, a player who missed one start in five years.
Tomlinson’s availability was his best trait, but that shouldn’t take away from his high-level play.