The 49ers are heading into training camp with a handful of veterans staring at real competition, and a few starting spots that look a lot less secure than they did a few months ago.
At wide receiver, Kirk is sitting in the No. 3 role for now, but that could change fast. He’s trying to hold off De’Zhaun Stribling, the rookie taken with the 33rd overall pick, and the pressure doesn’t stop there. Jordan Watkins, now in his second NFL season, can play a similar role to Kirk and could move from the No. 3 spot all the way down to fifth.
The left guard battle has a familiar face in the mix, too. Colby started six games as a rookie, but the team turned to Spencer Burford to finish out the season.
Colby is getting first-team reps early because he’s the only returning left guard in the competition, but Robert Jones has a shot to take the job before Week 1. Rookie Carver Willis could also make things uncomfortable sooner than expected.
Green’s situation is just as shaky. He was on the rise after his rookie year, but his second season ended with him in the doghouse.
Now there’s a new defensive coordinator in place, and the 49ers have added three cornerbacks since hiring Raheem Morris. Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock and Nate Hobbs are all in position to challenge him.
Green is expected to open camp with the job, but once one of those new faces stands out, he could be in trouble.
Brown has been through this before. He’s entering his fourth year with the team, and every season the 49ers have brought in someone to push him.
Every season, he’s still found his way into the starting lineup. He has 31 starts in three NFL seasons, but the competition is back again.
Marques Sigle is returning, and the team also brought in Ashtyn Davis in free agency. Davis has 34 starts in six seasons, so Brown can’t exactly coast.
Then there’s Lowe, who was signed to be the swing tackle this offseason before the 49ers drafted Enrique Cruz. That move immediately put pressure on Lowe’s spot, and Austen Plesants is still part of the mix as well. Lowe doesn’t have a firm grip on the job, and training camp could decide how long he keeps it.
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The uncomfortable part for San Francisco is how much this saga circles back to timing. The 49ers had earlier chances to lock Aiyuk in at a lower price before the market moved, and now the discussion is less about whether the relationship has been strained than how much farther it can stretch. Aiyuks latest post about Christian McCaffrey only added another layer to a situation that already feels like it is waiting for the next public reaction. [Read more 🡒]