The 49ers are only days away from getting the full roster into training camp, and that means the usual summer competition is about to start heating up. Kyle Shanahan will almost certainly manage the workload for veterans such as Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey, while players coming off season-ending injuries - Nick Bosa, George Kittle and Mykel Williams - won’t be out there changing the shape of every rep.
That creates room for somebody else to grab the spotlight.
And with a roster that includes several new faces, there are plenty of candidates. Christian Kirk at wide receiver, Robert Jones or Brett Toth at guard, Nate Hobbs in the secondary, and even some of the undrafted rookie defenders could all make noise if they take advantage of the openings in front of them.
Last summer, Demarcus Robinson was the name that kept popping up. He looked impossible to cover in camp, drawing the kind of buzz that made him sound like Brandon Aiyuk. But that practice success never really carried over once the games started.
This year, the pick is Jacob Cowing.
That makes sense in a setting like training camp, where wide receivers often steal the show. Cowing brings a speed element the 49ers didn’t have a year ago, and while Ricky Pearsall tested extraordinarily well, Cowing looks faster on the field.
The way he’s used should help, too. He figures to work from the slot and off the ball, where he can find favorable matchups against a secondary that doesn’t run well, at least compared with him.
His routes should give him chances to turn heads - deep crossers, vertical stems, maybe a screen or two mixed in with an underneath route. He’s the kind of player who can stretch the field.
That’s the recipe for the kind of summer that gets people talking: big plays, splash plays, and plenty of “oohs and ahhs” from the crowd.
And it shouldn’t stop there. Cowing should also get opportunities as a returner in the preseason, handling punts and kicks and giving him another stage to show off that speed. If he makes the most of those chances, he can do more than win camp buzz - he can make a real case to the coaching staff.
In Other News...
George Kittle Just Shared A Wild Kyle Shanahan Fight Story
George Kittle has a way of turning even a casual offseason memory into a full-on locker room story, and his latest one goes back to a 49ers trip to Cabo years ago. The tight end was talking about a golf outing that included both families and a few drinks, when a playful exchange with Kyle Shanahan escalated into a moment that sounded more like a backyard dare than a coach-player relationship.
For San Francisco, stories like that are part of the backdrop to a season that always seems to carry a little extra personality under Shanahan and Kittle. The same article also circles back to the roster picture, including Dre Greenlaws emotional return to the facility and the buzz around Jacob Cowing as a potential camp standout, but the Kittle anecdote is the kind of thing that reminds you how loose and human this group can be before the real football starts. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Camp Absences Suddenly Put Early Week 1 Focus On Four Names
The 49ers first week of training camp already has a different feel because of the names sitting out and the roster shuffling around them. General manager John Lynch said the team waived undrafted rookie tight end Khalil Dinkins with a non-football injury designation and brought in Tanner McLachlan, a 2024 sixth-round pick most recently with the Bengals, while defensive tackle Evan Anderson is expected to be released once a corresponding move is made.
More pressing for San Francisco is the group starting camp on the active/PUP list, with George Kittle, Isaac Guerendo, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins all set to begin on the sideline. Lynch said Kittles rehab is coming along tremendously and that he is doing everything possible to be ready for Week 1, while Williams is also making every effort to be available for the opener even if that remains uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
5 Young 49ers Could Force Their Way Into Camp Battles
Training camp has a way of turning depth-chart guesses into real competition, and the 49ers have a handful of young players who could make that happen before the pads even come on. Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, Romello Height, Kurtis Rourke and Ephesians Prysock all arrive with different paths, but the same basic challenge: show enough early to make the staff keep them in the conversation for roles that are still very much up for grabs.
For some, the opening is obvious. Cowing can help himself on special teams even before he proves more as a receiver, while Height is the kind of edge presence the 49ers have been searching for in the right situation. Rourke is trying to stand out in a quarterback room that already has established names, and Prysock has a chance to make life interesting in the secondary. James, meanwhile, is in the middle of a backfield race that could be decided by who looks most ready when camp starts sorting out the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]