How Likely is it for 49ers OT Colton McKivitz to Improve in 2024?

Arguably the worst player on the 49ers in 2023 was starting right tackle Colton McKivitz. Is he capable of seeing some improvement to help solidify the offensive line in 2024?

Dec 3, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Colton McKivitz (68) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Arguably the worst player on the San Francisco 49ers in 2023 was starting right tackle Colton McKivitz.

The 49ers rolled the dice on him after Mike McGlinchey elected to sign with the Denver Broncos last offseason. Letting McGlinchey walk was fine, but settling for McKivitz was a real head scratcher. It seemed like the 49ers didn't really have a plan there and just settled.

McKivitz ended up allowing the fourth-most sacks with nine last season as well as 47 pressures. As a run blocker he was okay, but clearly was a pass blocker he was putrid. Pro Football Focus gave him a 56.4 pass blocking grade, which is below average.

Now, the 49ers still made it to the Super Bowl as an electric offense despite McKivitz, which is why they never looked to move on from him. However, he cannot go into 2023 the exact same. He needs to figure out how he can get better to help solidify the offensive line. The only question is how likely is it for McKivitz to improve in 2024?

I'm going to actually say he has a decent chance of improving. 2023 was the first year McKivitz got to be a full time starter. He totaled 1,040 snaps last season compared to the 439 snaps he totaled prior. All of that experience is something that he can learn from and try to hone in on an area or two in strengthening.

The pushback on McKivitz improving is that he never got better as the season progressed. Rather, he was more or less the same from Week 1 to the Super Bowl. So, I can see why it is tough to believe that he has any potential in him that he can tap into.

But I've always been a big believer that experience can always help a bit at the very least. He may not ever be a solid offensive tackle, but McKivitz can at least prove to be a more capable one. To put a percentage on it, I give McKivitz a 50 percent chance of being better than he was in 2023.