Ranking Most Important 49ers in 2025: No. 29 Has Slim Edge at LG

Ben Bartch checked in at No. 30 on our list and has a strong chance to win the starting left guard job. However, while Bartch may very well win the role, Spencer Burford enters training camp with a slight edge in our rankings, coming in at No. 29.

Ranking the 49ers’ Most Important Players in 2025: No. 29 - Spencer Burford

For a fourth-round pick, Burford has been a solid addition to the team. He was a full-time starter at right guard for his first two NFL seasons, then shifted into a depth role last year, filling in at left guard and even left tackle for a short stint.

On the plus side, the 49ers could be starting a player who has spent three full seasons in the scheme and started for two of them. Burford has the physical tools to succeed, and if things finally click for him, he could develop into a quality starter.

On the flip side, the team has already shown they were looking to upgrade from him after he struggled at right guard. Now they’re asking him to switch to left guard, where he has just 81 career snaps, and hoping for better results. That’s a lot to ask, which is why he remains in a close competition with Bartch. While Bartch played just 65 snaps last season, he has 717 career snaps at left guard, giving him more experience at the position.

Beyond those two, there’s also the possibility that rookie Connor Colby surprises and unseats both veterans to claim the starting job as a seventh-round pick.

For now, neither Burford nor Bartch enters camp among the 22 most impactful players on the roster. But by Week 1, one of them will likely hold a starting role and find themselves among the most important players on gamedays.