Training camp is about to open for the San Francisco 49ers, and the rookies will get the first shot at showing what they can do before the rest of the roster arrives. That always makes this stretch worth watching. It’s the first real look at how the newcomers handle the pace, the playbook, and the pressure.
But not every rookie is worth tracking closely right away. A few of the 49ers’ first-year players look like long shots to make a real splash in camp, and for different reasons.
Start with Drew Willis. He technically has a path to the starting left guard job, but there doesn’t seem to be much of one.
Barring injuries, it feels like Connor Colby or Robert Jones has the edge there. There also hasn’t been much public enthusiasm around Willis from the 49ers’ side.
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch were specific about other rookies, but not him. The sense is that offensive line coach Chris Foerster was the driving force behind the pick, and that Willis is more of a developmental piece than an immediate answer.
That makes camp an especially tricky assignment for him. He is also making a position change, since he hasn’t spent his college career playing guard.
Learning the 49ers’ offense is hard enough on its own. Doing that while adjusting to a new spot only raises the degree of difficulty.
Then there’s Cruz, another rookie who didn’t get much praise from Lynch or Shanahan after the draft. At the post-draft press conference, Lynch focused on Cruz’s athletic traits, but didn’t say much about how he fits, or what he brings as a pass blocker or run blocker.
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Cruz has “training camp cut candidate” written all over him, and there doesn’t seem to be much reason to follow him closely unless injuries force the issue.
Halton is a different case. He isn’t being dismissed as a bad player.
In fact, the expectation is that he can be solid for the 49ers on passing downs and that he has a real knack for rushing the quarterback. The problem is visibility.
Interior defensive linemen are tough to evaluate in training camp, and outside of one-on-one drills, Halton may be easy to miss. His impact is more likely to show up in preseason games, where he can fully affect the pocket and disrupt plays.
Even then, he could end up buried in the depth chart. Alfred Collins and C.J. West are ahead of him, with Osa Odighizuwa leading the group.
In Other News...
The 49ers Offense Finally Has The One Thing It Lacked
For the first time in a while, the 49ers are heading into training camp without the usual noise around contract disputes or holdouts, and that alone gives the roster a cleaner runway. The bigger reason for optimism is the expected return of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, which should restore some of the balance and depth that make this team so hard to play against when it is healthy.
On offense, the conversation is less about subtraction and more about finally adding the kind of help that was missing a year ago. San Franciscos wide receiver play never gave the unit enough juice, and the hope is that new pieces will change the equation by giving Brock Purdy more reliable answers and a more complete set of options. DeZhaun Stribling brings one kind of element, but the real question is whether the 49ers have found the kind of difference-maker that can turn efficiency into something more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Fans May Need To Reconsider This Questioned Draft Pick
DeZhaun Stribling drew the kind of immediate reaction that usually follows a draft pick San Francisco fans are still trying to sort out, but the early noise around him may not have told the full story. The 49ers took him in the 2026 NFL Draft, and while the selection landed with some skepticism at first, later reporting painted a more favorable picture of where he stood on boards around the league.
Striblings appeal goes beyond raw upside. Evaluators have pointed to his blocking, speed and fit in an offense that can make use of those traits, and there is already some belief he could carve out a real role sooner rather than later. With a path that may open because of injuries and uncertainty at receiver, he has started to look less like a questionable pickup and more like the kind of sleeper who can force his way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]