49ers should take flyer on former Stanford offensive lineman to add depth

One of the biggest question marks for the San Francisco 49ers heading into the 2025 season is their offensive line. One move they could make to add depth to the trenches is to sign former Stanford standout Andrus Peat.

At Stanford, Peat was an All-American and was a key part of the team's offensive line during the glory years of the program under head coach David Shaw. He declared for the NFL Draft in 2015 and was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 13 overall pick in the first round.

He was a solid player for New Orleans, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Peat dealt with some injuries while playing for the Saints, but when he was on the field, he was typically pretty solid at the left guard position.

49ers should sign OL Andrus Peat before training camp

After nine seasons with the Saints, Peat signed with the Las Vegas Raiders before the 2024 season. Unfortunately, the Arizona native did not enjoy the same success he had in New Orleans with his new team. He saw his playing time drop precipitously as the year wore on, and it was clear that he was not as effective on the field.

Obviously, the concern is that Peat, at age 31, may simply be on the decline at this stage in his career. Yet, it could be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Niners to take a chance on a guy with ties to the Bay Area who went to the same college as general manager John Lynch.

The 49ers have more confidence in their offensive line internally than most people outside of the building do. Perhaps that confidence will be borne out in time, but until it is, the team should make sure they have all of their bases covered entering training camp.

San Francisco waited until later in the 2025 NFL Draft to select an offensive lineman. They did add a few depth pieces already, but it would not hurt to add another guy like Peat as a potential reclamation project.

Left guard could be a fairly open position for San Francisco in 2025 with Ben Bartch currently penciled in as the starter. It would make tons of sense to add an experienced veteran to the mix to provide a little more competition.

It is not a signing that would excite fans, but it would also not break the bank. What it would do is give the Niners a little more depth up front, which is never a bad thing.