The 49ers’ most obvious camp battle is at left guard, but that is hardly the only spot worth watching. Three other jobs are drawing real attention in Santa Clara: third linebacker, strong safety, and return man.
The third linebacker role does not carry a heavy workload in San Francisco’s defense, which used its base look on fewer than 40% of its defensive snaps. Even so, it matters when opponents go bigger and force the 49ers into heavier personnel. Last season, Luke Gifford filled that spot and did not handle it well.
Kyle Shanahan said Gifford entered camp as the incumbent alongside Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, but Nick Martin is making that a real competition. The team wants the second-year third-round pick to make a jump, and early camp signs suggest he is getting every chance to do exactly that.
Tatum Bethune, Garrett Wallow, and Jaden Dugger are also on the roster, so Martin is not the only fallback option. But for now, he is the one getting the extended look.
Safety is shaping up as another spot to monitor. The early expectation was that Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown would open as the starters, especially after both finished last season in those roles and the team did not make any major additions. But second-year safety Marques Sigle has entered the picture, too.
Sigle has split time with Brown early in camp. That makes this more interesting than it looked at first glance.
Sigle started the first six games of his rookie season before the staff pulled him once he began to look overwhelmed. Brown kept the job, but he also had trouble finishing the season.
If Sigle has used that setback to reset and come back stronger, the 49ers may have a genuine fight on their hands.
And then there is the return job, which might be the most overlooked competition of all. Skyy Moore handled both return duties last year and did it well, but now San Francisco is searching for that same spark again.
Junior Bergen, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing, and rookie UDFA Will Pauling are all getting chances to return kicks. For Bergen and Pauling, that may be their only route onto the roster.
The same could be said for Cowing. The 49ers are still sorting out who can seize the opportunity and make the spot their own.
In Other News...
49ers Already Have A De'Zhaun Stribling Problem They Feared
The 49ers took DeZhaun Stribling in the second round with the idea that his size and upside could be molded into something more than his college rsum suggested. He was not the first wideout off the board, or even close to it, but San Francisco clearly saw a developmental receiver worth betting on after a career that never produced a 1,000-yard season and included only one 100-yard game at Ole Miss.
One day into camp, though, the early conversation around Stribling already turned to the details that separate a raw prospect from a polished pro. His route running is under the microscope, and the kind of technical cleanup he needs is the sort that can slow a rookies progress if it does not come quickly, especially for a player the 49ers are asking to grow into a bigger role than his college production ever hinted at. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Suddenly Have A Shot At A Massive Defensive Line Upgrade
The defensive tackle market can shift fast when a player of Vita Veas caliber becomes available, and the timing is especially intriguing for a 49ers team that has been looking for more stability up front. San Francisco has the financial flexibility to chase a move like this, and the fit is obvious enough that it would be hard for the front office not to at least kick the tires, especially with the way the defensive line was tested by injuries last season.
Veas situation also adds a layer of geography to the sweepstakes, since he has indicated a preference for a landing spot in California or with the Raiders. That leaves the 49ers in a conversation that could get crowded quickly, but they have a clear need and the kind of roster structure that could make a major addition more realistic than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Camp Injuries Just Opened A Few Real Roster Doors
Training camp injuries always have a way of reshuffling the bottom of a roster, and this one is no different for San Francisco. Christian Kirk has been slowed by a calf issue, Halton is working through a bruised knee, and Lowes ankle problem has thinned out the competition just enough to give a handful of fringe players a real chance to be seen. DeZhaun Stribling, Austen Plesants, Enrique Cruz, Sebastian Valdez and others are getting the kind of practice reps that can change the shape of a camp, especially when coaches are trying to sort out who can handle more than just emergency duty.
Kevin Givens is part of that picture too after the 49ers brought him in, and he adds a little more stability to a group that suddenly needs it. For a team that values depth as much as San Francisco does, these are the moments when a temporary injury list can turn into a genuine roster opening. The next few practices should tell the story of who is merely filling space and who is starting to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]