SANTA CLARA, Calif. –Jordan Devey did not join the San Francisco 49ers until Aug. 18, when he was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots for tight end Asante Cleveland.

Devey has yet to start a preseason game or get any meaningful snaps with the Niners’ first-team offensive line.

And yet on Tuesday, less than two weeks before the 49ers’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Devey was named the starting right guard going forward.

“I’m trying to do whatever I can to play football for as long as I can and coming in here, the mentality I had was to come in here and earn a job, to work my butt off and try to make it possible,” Devey said. “And now that it’s happening, it doesn’t change any mentality that I have; I’m still going to work as hard as I have been working, if not more, to be able to do whatever I can to help the line, help the team.

“Anywhere that you go there’s opportunity. I just tried to immerse myself in the program to learn as much as I could, as fast as I could…every practice, whether I’m getting reps on the field or watching them, I’m trying to learn and get better.”

The first O-line the Niners ran out this preseason had Joe Staley at left tackle, Alex Boone at left guard, Joe Looney at center, Marcus Martin at right guard and Erik Pears at right tackle.

Then Martin replaced Looney and rookie Ian Silberman was given the start at right guard in the most recent exhibition game, at Denver, and the right side of the line was especially leaky against the Broncos.

Beyond that, expected center Daniel Kilgore was placed on the PUP list on Monday.

Enter Devey.

“He’s a guy that’s started numerous games in this league,” said coach Jim Tomsula. “There’s a calmness about him, O.K.? There a calmness about him in there playing the game, and I’m talking about in himself. He’s a good football player. He’s a smart guy. Came in here and really got it quick. (We) just like where he’s at.”

But about that “calmness?”

“He was trying to blow somebody’s head up,” Martin said of his early workouts in Santa Clara. “Anybody that plays aggressive and nasty, I want them to play next to me.”

And about those “numerous” starts?

The 6-foot-6, 317-pound Devey has played seven games, starting four, in his NFL career.

In Saturday’s exhibition against the Broncos, Devey played nine snaps.

“We see what Jordan’s doing and where he’s at right now,” Tomsula said.

“He’s come in, he’s taken the time, he’s got the system. Love the practice tape so that’s where we’re going.

“He’s gotten a lot of reps in practice…with the scheme that we’re running.”

Tomsula, though, was not sure if the first-string line of Staley, Boone, Martin, Devey and Pears would play together in Thursday night’s exhibition finale against the San Diego Chargers.

For a more in-depth scouting report on Devey, click here.