The 49ers enter Week 1 leaning hard on their rookies, and not just for depth. If this team is going to make the kind of Super Bowl push its veterans no longer guarantee, a few first-year players are going to have to look a lot more like established pros.
At the top of the rookie list is Stribling, who has a real chance to pile up 1,000 yards if his preseason form carries over. He was the most explosive receiver on the roster and, just as important, the most durable.
With Mike Evans and George Kittle not in a position to drag the offense at their age, the 49ers need Stribling to deliver every week. He’s expected to open the season as the No. 3 receiver behind Demarcus Robinson or Deebo Samuel, but it would be a surprise if he stayed there for long.
Black is the other rookie who could reshape the offense right away. Since the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey, they’ve not really looked like a team that could win without him.
Black changed that impression in the preseason, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and showing he can block at a high level for a rookie. That gives him the profile of a three-down back, even if he isn’t much of a receiving threat.
He should get at least 150 carries.
On defense, Prysock flashed enough to make people pay attention before a shoulder injury slowed him down. Over three preseason games, he allowed just 3 catches on 8 targets, broke up two passes, including one in the end zone, and held opponents to a 48.4 passer rating.
The AC joint injury in his shoulder makes Week 1 unlikely, but even with the 49ers’ cornerback depth, he showed starting-caliber upside. He’s bigger and faster than almost every other corner on the roster.
Halton may have made the strongest case of any rookie lineman in limited action. In just one preseason game, he logged one pressure and four run stops in 30 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
That kind of production hints at a true three-down defensive tackle, the rare sort who can bother both the run and the pass. The 49ers haven’t drafted a legitimate player like that in 10 years under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, and Halton might be the first.
He’s dealing with an ankle injury now, but once he’s back, he could push Alfred Collins out of the starting lineup.
Thompson Jr. didn’t put up eye-catching numbers in the preseason, but the tape told a different story. He proved hard to move as a run defender and showed enough burst to collapse the pocket as a pass rusher. In other words, he looked like the kind of player the 49ers hoped Alfred Collins would become - except Thompson is an undrafted rookie, while Collins was the team’s second-round pick last year.
Dugger has already outperformed the expectations that usually come with a fifth-round pick. He’s in the mix to start at strongside linebacker and could even step into Dre Greenlaw’s weakside role in sub packages.
The 49ers clearly see him as a future starter, and maybe even a starter from day one. He played 110 preseason snaps and made a bunch of plays, though the rough edges were there too: two missed tackles and 9 catches allowed on 10 targets.
If he starts against the Rams in Week 1, they’ll go after him immediately.
Willis may be the rookie most likely to start the opener, but that says as much about the competition as it does about him. He won a job by default after beating out Robert Jones, who didn’t make the team, and Connor Colby, a seventh-round pick last year who isn’t good.
For a player who never played guard before this offseason, Willis has looked decent enough to suggest he can be an NFL starter. He just doesn’t look like a future Pro Bowler yet.
Height was supposed to arrive ready-made as a third-down edge rusher, drafted in Round 3 to fill the Bryce Huff role. The 25-year-old took most of his training camp reps with the starters and was expected to help right away.
Instead, he managed zero pressures in 22 pass-rush snaps across two preseason games and is now dealing with an ankle injury. It’s hard to imagine a rougher start.
And then there’s Cruz, who simply does not look like he belongs. He’s worse than every player on the practice squad and even worse than Isaac Alarcon, who is part of the international pathway program.
If the 49ers had waived him, he likely would have cleared and landed on the practice squad anyway. Instead, they kept him so they could say every draft pick made the team, and that decision cost them Darrell Luter Jr., who is better than Cruz.
Five teams claimed Luter Jr. on waivers, and the Raiders got him because they had the highest priority. Cruz, though, doesn’t look like someone who will ever start a game for the 49ers.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Have A Bigger Brandon Aiyuk Problem Than Ever
The 49ers moved to settle their roster on Tuesday, but Brandon Aiyuk remained the name hanging over the room. General manager John Lynch confirmed the wide receiver is not currently on the active roster after San Francisco left him off the final 53-man roster and placed him on the reserve/left squad list, a move that underlined just how unusual this situation has become for a player who has been one of the offenses biggest pieces.
Aiyuk also has not taken part in offseason workouts or training camp, which has only added to the uncertainty around his future in Santa Clara. Public chatter has linked him to the Washington Commanders, but no official move has followed, leaving the 49ers with a high-profile issue still unresolved as the season picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Could Need Immediate Week 1 Help From Unexpected Veterans
The 49ers are already looking past the initial roster trim and into Week 1 depth planning, with defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge reportedly joining the practice squad. It is the kind of early-season move that says as much about health as it does about talent, especially with San Francisco getting ready for its opener against the Los Angeles Rams and needing enough reliable bodies to cover important snaps on both sides of the ball.
Okoronkwo and Hodge bring the sort of veteran experience that can matter quickly if the 49ers have to shuffle pieces before the opener, and both could end up on the game day roster right away because of injury concerns at their positions. Undrafted players Wesley Grimes and Khalil Dinkins were also mentioned in the mix, giving San Francisco a little more flexibility as it tries to get through the first week with its depth chart still settling into place. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Add Under-The-Radar Depth With One Week 1 Question
The 49ers kept adding to their depth picture after the opening roster decisions, turning to a practice squad group that brings a mix of experience and upside. Ogbo Okoronkwo gives San Francisco a veteran edge presence with seven years in the league, while Khalil Dinkins and Wesley Grimes arrive as recent undrafted free agents looking to carve out a foothold in the organization.
KhaDarel Hodge is the most familiar name in the group for fans who follow special teams and receiver depth, since he has already spent time with the Falcons. For a team that always has to manage the grind of a long season, these are the kinds of low-profile additions that can matter quickly, even if the bigger question around the Week 1 roster is still only beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]