The San Francisco 49ers are heading into training camp with far fewer question marks than they had a year ago, and a few spots on the roster look about as safe as it gets.
That’s the big difference this summer: there are position groups the 49ers can trust not to become problems once the regular season starts. And at the top of that list sits quarterback.
Brock Purdy gives San Francisco a steady starter who is no worse than a top-14 quarterback in the league. That alone makes the position dependable.
But the 49ers also have Mac Jones, a quarterback who can easily start for at least six other teams. With both players on hand, the 49ers have two starting quarterbacks to lean on.
Last season already showed why that matters. Purdy missed eight games because of a turf toe injury, and Jones helped keep the team afloat. If Purdy has to miss time again, San Francisco knows it has a capable answer.
The interior of the defensive line is another area that looks far more secure than it has in a long time. The 49ers brought in Osa Odighizuwa in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, and he gives them an impactful defensive tackle they haven’t had since Arik Armstead.
Behind him, second-year players Alfred Collins and C.J. West give the group more depth and upside. Both were promising last year, and the expectation is that they should be solid in 2026 if they keep trending the right way.
Mykel Williams also factors in because he slides inside on passing downs, and rookie Gracen Halton adds another name to the mix. That’s a deep, useful group, and it gives the 49ers plenty to feel good about.
Linebacker belongs on the dependable list too, and the clearest sign is that the 49ers traded Dee Winters to the Cowboys. Winters being in the final year of his deal mattered, but the move also says plenty about how comfortable the team feels with its depth there.
Fred Warner is still the centerpiece of the position, and he should be back to elite form. Dre Greenlaw is in the picture too, though there’s always the possibility of an injury limiting him.
If that happens, the 49ers have options. Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Nick Martin, and even rookie Jayden Dugger could all be called on if he develops quickly enough.
For now, those three spots - quarterback, interior defensive line, and linebacker - look like the 49ers’ most dependable positions as camp begins.
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49ers Backfield Battle Behind McCaffrey Just Took A Troubling Turn
The 49ers used a third-round pick on rookie running back Kaelon Black in April, a move aimed at deepening the backfield behind Christian McCaffrey. On paper, it was the kind of insurance policy teams like to have in place, especially with McCaffrey carrying such a heavy load as the centerpiece of the offense.
But the addition also adds pressure to a room that already includes Jordan James, who did not record a carry in 2025. Both rookies arrived with strong college rsums, which gives San Francisco some comfort about the positions future, but it also leaves an unsettled pecking order behind McCaffrey and a lingering question about how the 49ers want to sort out the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Robert Saleh Just Sent 49ers Fans A Strong Alfred Collins Message
Robert Salehs latest comments offered a familiar kind of reassurance for 49ers fans: the coach who helped bring Alfred Collins to San Francisco still believes the defensive tackle has the tools to become a difference-maker. Saleh, now leading the Titans, was part of the staff that drafted Collins during his second stint as the 49ers defensive coordinator, and his confidence in Collins work ethic carries extra weight after a rookie year that never really got on track.
Collins had to deal with a rocky first season, including a training-camp absence tied to a contract standoff, but the expectation now is that hell be in camp from the start and get a cleaner runway. San Francisco also added Osa Odighizuwa this offseason, a move that should help the interior rotation and ease some of the burden on Collins as he tries to turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Gave This Undrafted Receiver A Real Shot To Make Noise
Wesley Grimes landed in Santa Clara as more than just another undrafted flyer, which is saying something for a 49ers receiver room that always seems to have a few names fighting for one last opening. The former NC State wideout signed a three-year deal that includes $200,000 fully guaranteed, a small but meaningful sign that San Francisco is willing to give him a real look instead of treating him like a camp body.
Grimes brings the kind of athletic profile that can turn a training-camp rep into a conversation: a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical leap. Just as important for a team built around timing, spacing and yards after the catch, his style lines up with what the 49ers want to do, which is why this is the sort of signing that can quietly become more interesting as summer unfolds. [Read more 🡒]