Rookie 49ers offensive linemen showing versatility

There has been some chatter recently regarding the 49ers whiffing on second round draft pick Aaron Banks. During the portion of practice that was open to the media, Banks was getting work in at left guard. This is interesting considering Banks played on the left side during his time at Notre Dame and has struggled with transitioning to over the right side with San Francisco.

Banks wasn’t the only rookie offensive lineman getting work at a different spot along the line. Jaylon Moore was working at right tackle after spending the preseason on the left side.

This likely doesn’t signal any change of position for either player. Instead, it could be considered cross training. Now that the regular season is here, all of the backups need to be ready to play both sides of the offensive line.

While it’s understandable that some may be frustrated with Banks having yet to crack the starting lineup, this could end up being a positive for San Francisco in the future. By gaining experience at multiple positions, Banks will become more versatile — a trait the 49ers covet in their offensive lineman.

Other news and notes from today’s practice:

Kevin Givens (hip), and Javon Kinlaw (knee) returned to practice and were limited along with Trey Lance (finger). Meanwhile, Jalen Hurd (knee) and Emmanuel Moseley (knee) were held out of practice for the second day in a row.

It appears that Moseley will be unavailable for the game. If he is unable to go, the 49ers can turn to rookie Deommodore Lenoir, Josh Norman or call Dontae Johnson up from the practice squad.

Lenoir started all three preseason games and looked good. Meanwhile, the 49ers signed Norman on Monday. The 33-year-old veteran missed all of the preseason, however he kept himself in shape. According to defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, Norman is picking the defense up quickly.