The 49ers closed the book on the 2026 preseason with an 18-12 win over the Raiders, and the scoreboard told you about as much as the performance did. It was a kicking battle, nothing more, and San Francisco now gets to move on to Australia. Before that trip, though, the finale offered a few clear answers - and a couple of warnings.
One of the biggest misses came from Jordan Watkins, who had a real opening with Jacob Cowing sidelined. Instead of grabbing it, Watkins looked flat from the jump. On the opening kickoff, he showed no burst, no feel for the lane, and ended up running straight into traffic before getting driven into the turf.
It didn’t get better when the ball came his way on offense. On his first pass target from Mac Jones, Watkins stopped running the route, leaving what looked like a strong throw from Jones wasted. If he’s not giving full effort, the 49ers may already have their answer on him.
Kaelon Black didn’t fare much better as a receiver. The first two chances he got in the passing game exposed the rough edges there.
On one play, he appeared to break the wrong way, with Jones expecting him to come back inside while Black drifted outside instead. He also took too long getting through the route.
Black looks smooth carrying the ball, but as a pass-catcher he looked stiff, and that’s not a small problem.
The bright spot for San Francisco was the defense, even with the starters parked on the sideline. The Raiders played their first unit for the opening two series, and the 49ers’ second-string defense handled that work well. That mirrored what happened against the Titans in the opener, another encouraging showing for the backups.
That matters because some of those players are going to be asked to contribute during the season. Against a starting offense, the 49ers’ reserves held their own again, which suggests there may be real depth there on defense.
Jordan James was another notable winner. After Kyle Shanahan’s comments on Monday, it didn’t even seem certain he’d dress for the game, but he did - and he flashed plenty.
James looked explosive, almost like he was shot out of a cannon. He’s not the same kind of bruiser as Kaelon Black, but he’s faster, and he showed good vision and elusiveness.
If he stays healthy, the 49ers could have a strong group behind Christian McCaffrey.
The clearest roster signal from the game came at left guard. Rookie Carver Willis took every starting rep in the first half and didn’t give any of them up to Connor Colby.
That makes the picture pretty obvious. Willis looks like the Week 1 starter, even if Shanahan probably won’t say it out loud and tip his hand before the Rams have to prepare.
Colby, meanwhile, appears set as the backup to Dominick Puni at right guard, with left guard work reserved for emergencies. The 49ers have shown enough in the last two preseason games to make that pretty easy to read.
Then there was the second half, where Alfred Collins and C.J. West were still on the field.
That stood out immediately. If those two were still playing late in a preseason finale, it says the 49ers think they need every possible rep.
Collins, in particular, struggled badly, and most of his work came against the Raiders’ backups.
At this point, West and Collins don’t look close to the kind of impact players the 49ers expected. Whether that means Robert Saleh pushed for two duds or defensive line coach Kris Kocurek is overrated, the results haven’t matched the expectation.
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Eddy Pineiro was the steadying force, drilling multiple long field goals and finishing a perfect 6-for-6 on the night. Around him, the rookies on both sides of the ball had their moments, with several defensive players showing flashes even as missed tackles showed up too often, while rookie running backs Kaelon Black and Jordan James were reminded there is still plenty to clean up. For a 49ers team sorting through depth and roster battles, Pineiros consistency stood out as the rare thing that did not need much explanation. [Read more 🡒]
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What stood out most, though, was how the game fed into a bigger roster conversation still hanging over the final cutdown period. San Franciscos coaching staff and front office are weighing how to handle the quarterback room, and the choice of whether to carry three quarterbacks has only become more pointed after a night when the backup and developmental spots were on display as much as the scoreless stretches. [Read more 🡒]