Between blazing trails for Kerwynn Williams and protecting the quarterbacks in the pocket, the pressure is on pretty heavily for two guys who really are still to be determined. The preseason depth chart lists Jamie Markosian as the starter at left guard, which should really surprise nobody given the high-praise he's received from coaches over the past two years. He's continued to bulk up along the way and based on how he's looked so far in camp, appears ready for prime time.
Left tackle is a bit more of a question mark with Kevin Whimpey and Logan Molohifo'ou pushing each other for a starting role. What really complicates things is that they are both quite a bit different from one another. Whimpey, along with his brother Kyle, have earned mild internet fame based on their mind-blowing strength displayed in offseason workouts. The question of lateral movement is what hangs over his head though.
Molohifo'ou is a totally different story, possessing excellent athleticism to go along with great size for an offensive lineman. He's only a freshman, and looks to have superstar potential as he adds more muscle to his frame, but Whimpey already has that muscle and then some.
Having someone step up and put a stranglehold on each spot on the left side is crucial though. A little bit of depth wouldn't hurt either, seeing as how Markosian has been slotted as the backup center each of the last two seasons behind Tyler Larsen. Schultz has been thrown into the mix as a possible emergency center too, but let's hope it never has to be anyone but Larsen snapping the football.
One also has to hope if the coaching staff is going to stack each one of last season's starting tackles together on one side of the line, that they feel plenty comfortable in the guys filling the spot on the left side. With some strong play from those guys stepping in, the offense should be able to easily maintain a high level of play again this season.
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