How 49ers' Aaron Banks Flipped the Script After Rough Rookie Season

2021 was a forgettable year for rookie offensive lineman Aaron Banks.

The 49ers had drafted him in the second round, which clearly indicated that they had envisioned him to be a starter. However, the 49ers would not play Banks at his natural position at left guard. Instead, they tried to play him where they needed him, which was at right guard. That didn't pan out at all for him as he never was able to take the starting reins. Injuries also played a factor for him, which only made it worse.

After his rookie season, there started to be a wonder of if Banks was the right guy that the 49ers drafted. And if not, then they were going to need to pivot. Fast forward to his third year in the league, and it has become clear that Banks was the right guy and then some. 2022 was a critical year for him and he passed with flying colors. The 49ers finally playing him at left guard played a large part, but it was also about getting his body right.

"I just took advantage of every day. I feel like I wasn't completely prepared for an NFL season my rookie year when I came in," said Banks. "I had to fix that, so I put in the work in the offseason with the training coaches and nutritionists and everything. It got my body to where I needed to be to go perform. Plus, the second year in this offense is really helpful. You get that first year under your belt, you build your foundation, then go from there."

One of the main issues with Banks his rookie season in training camp was how often he'd get driven back. Strength was an issue early on and it is one he immediately improved on going into his sophomore season. For a Kyle Shanahan offense to work effectively, offensive linemen cannot be getting pushed around. Now, it is Banks who is doing the shoving and pushing.

Once he got the physical down, it was all about the mental part. Shanahan's offense is not easy by any means, which is why he cites how beneficial it was to have a year to become embedded. He is not the only player in that regard. Plenty of current and former players under Shanahan have echoed Banks' sentiment. And because of all of that, he knew where to start when it came to improving.

"For me, it was a mindset to try and get better and not try to be perfect. Just pick the one thing to work on and go in and get better at that. From there, just keep adding on, so you start from the basics, from working simple to complex."

Banks has it all down now, which is why he is an adequate starter on a Super Bowl contending team. It would've been easy for him to wallow on his rough rookie season, but he preserved and quickly flipped the script. One that has taken his career to new heights with his arrow pointing upward.