Forget about Trey Lance: Here are four storylines to watch as the 49ers eye a rebound
The 49ers have one more preseason game left following the 15-10 victory Sunday over the Chargers.
Much of our focus here has been on the evolving quarterback competition between Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. And while we dove into that topic Sunday night after the game, there are still plenty of other story lines to dive into ahead of the exhibition finale this week against the Raiders.
Let’s get to them.
More fifth-round draft gems?
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch have done well in the fifth round of recent drafts. It started in 2017 with All-Pro tight end George Kittle and continued in 2019 with ascending linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
Shanahan and Lynch this spring went back to the fifth-round well three times. They added Western Michigan offensive lineman Jaylon Moore, Oregon cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and USC safety Talanoa Hufanga.
It’s early, but all three are off to strong starts to their NFL careers.
Moore played 100% of Sunday’s game at left tackle largely due to knee injuries to starter Trent Williams and Shon Coleman. Moore appears to be the favorite for the backup “swing” tackle job, but there’s also a chance he’ll get mixed into the competition at guard. He was drafted to play guard, according to Shanahan, after playing 32 straight games at tackle.
The 49ers could have an opening in the starting lineup at right guard, depending on how the coaching staff feels about incumbent starter Daniel Brunskill, who might be best in a versatile backup role.
“You got to be ready everywhere,” Shanahan said of Moore. “So we’d love to give him some more reps inside, but with some of the injuries we’ve had in camp, we haven’t been able to. Which I do think has been a good thing for him at tackle. It’s very rare you get to play a whole game like (Sunday), that he’s gotten better each week with experience and happy about how he’s coming along.”
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Moore starting at some point this season. The same is true for Hufanga, who has been arguably the team’s best special teams player in the preseason. He’s also worked with the first team offense at strong safety over the last week while veterans Tavon Wilson and Jaquiski Tartt are out with injuries.
“I think the way he’s played the last two weeks and the way he’s played in practice, I think he’s definitely giving himself an opportunity,” Shanahan said.
Lenoir, meanwhile, could be key in solving San Francisco’s depth quandary in the secondary. He’s played 101 snaps in two preseason games and targeted six times in coverage. His passer rating allowed is 0.0, according to Pro Football Focus, thanks to his interception in the first contest against Kansas City.
Right guard problem for 49ers offense?
We mentioned Brunskill, the former AAF player, who is also likely the 49ers’ top backup at center. He struggled to block Chiefs star Chris Jones in the exhibition opener and is the only non-first-round draft pick starting on the offensive line.
The 49ers in April used a second-round pick on Notre Dame’s Aaron Banks, but he’s been out a week and isn’t expected to play against Las Vegas because of an AC joint sprain in his shoulder.
The team drafted Banks early thinking he would start from the jump, but even while healthy he wasn’t among the group of players, including Brunskill, Tom Compton and Colton McKivitz, to get practice reps at right guard with the starters.
There were questions coming in about Banks’ fit in the scheme. Shanahan has typically prioritized fleet-footed guards to play in his outside zone system while Banks faced questions about his quickness.
Things aren’t going well for Banks, which could lead to Moore being the guy who ends up starting at guard despite being drafted three rounds later.
Bosa’s season could define 49ers defense
The 49ers have a new defensive coordinator in DeMeco Ryans who has never called plays. Their best cornerback, Jason Verrett, has a long list of serious leg injuries in his history.
Emmanuel Moseley, the other projected starter at cornerback, has been in and out of camp because of a stint on the COVID-19 list and a recent hamstring strain. Hufanga, a fifth-round rookie, could be starting at strong safety.
The point here: the secondary has a number of question marks. Things could go poorly if there are injuries, which puts a lot of pressure on the defensive line to bother opposing quarterbacks.
Which means a case could be made that Nick Bosa is the 49ers’ most important defender in 2021. And he’s coming off an ACL tear, which is a tricky proposition.
So far, the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year hasn’t taken any reps in one-on-one or full-team drills, though he looks like he’s in good shape and moving well during individual periods.
He’s expected to participate in team drills this week for the first time, though he likely won’t play against the Raiders on Sunday.
“We’ll see how he goes,” Ryans said last week. “Easing him back in coming off of injury, it’ll be great just to have him out there and his presence will be felt.”
Bosa has the talent to be one of the league’s top defenders. His addition in 2019 was transformative for the 49ers’ defense en route to getting to the Super Bowl. He also appeared in all 19 games, including the playoffs.
Can Bosa be counted on to be that durable again coming off an ACL tear? That’s a tall task, particularly with similar questions surrounding Dee Ford coming off his back injury and newcomer Samson Ebukam playing defensive end for the first time in the NFL after working as an outside linebacker with the Rams previously.
Receivers might be the toughest cuts
The 49ers have two sure-fire starters in Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Things get murky at receiver beyond those two.
Trent Sherfield has been very good during camp and has made San Francisco’s longest two catches during the preseason. He was signed for his work on special teams, not necessarily to replace Kendrick Bourne. Though that might be the role he ends up taking.
The 49ers are optimistic about what they’ve seen from veteran Mohamed Sanu, who could be locked into the No. 3 job after having surgery in March that has apparently fixed his ankle issues of the last two seasons.
After those four, good luck handicapping which receivers make the 53-man roster. Richie James, Nsimba Webster and Travis Benjamin are in the mix for their work in the return game. Webster might be the best at that aspect while James clearly has the most experience within Shanahan’s offense after joining the team in 2017. But James has dropped a slew of passes in training camp and missed two catchable passes in two preseason games.
Then there’s Jalen Hurd, the talented third-round pick from 2019 who has yet to make his NFL debut. Hurd’s been dealing with knee tendinitis after tearing his ACL in Aug. 2020 and has struggled to stay on the practice field. The 49ers recently gave Hurd two weeks off hoping he could return to practice before playing against the Raiders.
“Hopefully when we get to Las Vegas week, that’ll be the right answer. I hope he’ll be a little bit better,” Shanahan said.
Hurd might be the 49ers’ most-talented receiver outside of Samuel and Aiyuk, but he’s of little value if he can’t stay on the field. The team could decide to give him a roster spot and open the season on injured reserve to give him more time to get his knee right. But that would come at the expense of someone else at the back end of the roster who might be more ready to contribute.
If Hurd doesn’t make the team, he would have to clear waivers, which could lead to him landing somewhere else. You can bet the 49ers would hate to see Hurd land with the Seahawks after what happened with defensive back D.J. Reed last season, who turned into a key player on Pete Carroll’s defense.
