The San Francisco 49ers’ first unofficial depth chart doesn’t settle anything, but it does offer a clean look at where a few battles stand heading into the preseason opener Thursday against the Titans.
One of the clearest early signals came along the offensive line. Connor Colby is no longer opening camp as the first choice at left guard.
He was listed at right guard instead, while Carver Willis was shown backing up Robert Jones on the left side. Colby had started camp with the first team, but that spot appears to have slipped away already.
There’s also no separation yet at running back behind the starter. The 49ers listed both backup candidates on the same line, leaving the job unresolved.
That setup could work in favor of the rookie, who usually has to climb from behind. Still, James has not been healthy and could close the gap once he gets back.
At receiver, Robinson made a notable jump. He went from roster bubble territory to a possible starting role, listed ahead of Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling as the third receiver alongside Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans.
The backup center job is also in motion. Brett Toth was brought in to handle that role, but he has been banged up, and Nugent is clearly pressing him for the spot. The bigger question now is whether Toth also gets pulled into the left guard mix.
There’s movement further down the line, too. Halton is a rookie who has missed time, yet he is still listed behind second-year lineman Sebastian Valdez.
Valdez spent last season on the practice squad and is now making a push for the roster. He’ll have to hold off Halton along with two rookie UDFAs, Bryson Eason and James Thompson.
On defense, the linebacking picture is worth watching. Reports had Nick Martin getting work at SAM, but the depth chart placed him behind Dre Greenlaw at WILL.
Gifford was listed as the starting SAM, with Jaden Dugger and Jalen Graham behind him. Their body types fit the role better than Martin, according to the chart.
The secondary looks more settled than some of the other spots. The same five players the team finished last season with are listed as starters, even after the 49ers brought in a wave of competition. Nate Hobbs is listed as the backup slot, which suggests he is not challenging Renardo Green the way Jack Jones is.
There’s also a special teams note worth tracking. Deebo Samuel is listed as the first-team kick returner, while Cowing is leading the punt return group.
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