The San Francisco 49ers are unlikely to play their starters meaningful snaps in their first preseason game against the Denver Broncos, which is why we should keep an eye on the youngsters.
Even if the first team plays a series or two, that leaves more than three quarters for somebody to make a name for themselves, the quarterback depth chart is set, but let’s walk through the roster to see which players at each position have the most to gain.
Can Corey steal the show?
The 49ers selecting Jordan James in the fifth round of this past draft was meant to supplement their 2024 fourth-round pick, Isaac Guerendo. Unfortunately, Guerendo (shoulder ) and James (finger) are both out due to injury.
There’s no sense in seeing Christian McCaffrey in action after he just participated in the joint practice against Denver. That opens the door for Patrick Taylor Jr., Corey Kiner, and Ameer Abdullah.
The preseason is the first real “action” for running backs to show what they can do on and after contact. The majority of teams in the NFL don’t go to the ground in practice. Most of the contact is to a “thud,” and you stay off your feet to prevent injuries. As an undrafted rookie free agent, you couldn’t ask for a better situation than Saturday for Kiner. He’ll presumably have a heavy workload.
Kiner may lack the home run speed that Guerendo has, but he makes up for it with his vision, ability to stay on his feet after contact, and overall competitiveness as a runner. Kiner had the third-highest broken tackle rate per 100 touches in the 2025 NFL Draft. While he ended up transferring to Cincinnati, the fourth-year senior was the ninth-best running back in his class and committed to LSU. The talent is there. Now, Kiner gets his shot.
Has Spencer found a new home?
Assuming Trent Williams won’t don the pads Saturday evening, we’ll get our first look at Spencer Burford as a left tackle. This was Burford’s position in college, so he should look comfortable. The former fourth-rounder was a tick behind in the processing department at guard, so I’m curious to see how he looks on the edge. The 49ers should let Burford play for at least a half, if not more.
A good chunk of the offensive line is set in stone. Players like Matt Hennessy, Connor Colby, and Drew Moss are competing for either the final spot or looking to prove that they’re worthy of a practice squad spot.
Which wide receivers will separate themselves from the competition?
Ricky Pearsall has been the talk of training camp. Still, he needs live reps. If we don’t see Pearsall, that’s a sign that Kyle Shanahan and the coaching staff are more than pleased with Pearsall’s progress.
The 49ers know what they have in Demarcus Robinson, which means players like Jordan Watkins have a chance to seize an opportunity with Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Jacob Cowing out for this game.
Despite the roster churn at the bottom of the receiver depth chart, Watkins’ reps are far more meaningful than players who have been in the league several years, like Robbie Chosen and Equanimeous St. Brown. I’d let Pearsall play a quarter, maybe into the second, and leave Watkins in for the first half.
Plenty of pass rush to go around
The 49ers should hide Nick Bosa’s pads. We should see Bosa for a series in Week 2, a quarter or two in the final preseason game, and that should be the extent of his live action in August.
An injury to Mykel Williams likely robs him of playing against the Broncos. But there are plenty of reps to go around along the defensive line without the 49ers ‘ first-round pick suiting up. Alfred Collins and C.J. West need to play. The same is true for depth pieces such as Evan Anderson, Sam Okuayinonu, and potential preseason fan favorite Sebastian Valdez.
The 49ers have a young core of talent along the defensive line. The preseason is the perfect place for them to get reps, figure out what works and doesn’t, all while getting into playing shape. It’ll be tempting to let Collins and West play the entire first half.
Looking for 1 linebacker
Fred Warner and Dee Winters are your linebackers, provided they stay healthy. They’ll be on the field more than 75 percent of the time this season. That means when the 49ers are in their base defense, there’s still one spot available, and that’s on the strongside at linebacker.
Is that Luke Gifford? Can rookie Nick Martin earn reps on defense, or is this more like a redshirt season where special teams snaps are the best he’ll get? Martin should play a ton during the preseason. The 49ers have a pair of seventh-rounders on the roster in Jalen Graham and Tatum Bethune. They also have Stone Blanton, an undrafted free agent. But Gifford and Chazz Surratt probably make more sense to keep on the roster, given their stature and experience in a linebacker room that’s already plenty green.
A sneaky good secondary?
The part of the team with the most spots up for grabs is likely in the secondary. Renardo Green won’t play this week. Malik Mustapha is still sidelined. Demmodore Lenoir is quickly approaching star treatment. That leaves rookie Upton Stout and Jason Pinnock — who may or may not start over Ji’Ayir Brown — as the healthy members of the first team secondary.
That means Dallis Flowers, Jakob Robinson, Darrell Luter, Marques Sigle, Tre Brown, and Siran Neal all better be on their Ps and Qs this month. One slip-up could give the upper hand to their counterpart. Whether they’re a veteran who has started in this league or an undrafted rookie, the battles for the final spots in the secondary will be the most intriguing ones on the roster.
Based on what ex-players have said and the buzzwords the coaching staff uses during their press conferences, the most aggressive tacklers have the best chance. Of course, finding ways to get the ball and creating turnovers will go a long way.
For now, Flowers is the closest player to a “lock” to make the roster, but there is a ton of football to be played. Robinson might have the most upside, but whichever player shows the most consistency will find themselves on the roster come September.
Which player do you believe needs to have the biggest game against the Broncos? Scroll down below to the comments and let us know.
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