The San Francisco 49ers preseason affairs have officially come to a close. Before roster cutdown day on Sunday August 30th, I wanted to share who stood out to me in a good/bad way for the team. a

Winners

WR De’Zhaun Stribling

De’Zhaun Stribling looked like the best player on the field for the San Francisco 49ers this preseason, and it wasn’t particularly close. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss led the team in receiving against the Chargers and tied with Khadarel Hodge to lead the team in receiving against the Titans in his debut.

With guys going down in the 49ers receiver room, Stribling had more opportunity to step up early, and he seized it.

I believe this dude has very strong Rookie of the Year potential this year in the NFL. Don’t be surprised when we see him worked into that 49ers offense right away in Week 1 against the LA Rams. 

LG Carver Willis

My second winner is someone I talked about last night: rookie guard Carver Willis out of Washington. The 49ers fourth-round pick played solid football and got to start all preseason. He did a really good job. 

Kyle Shanahan mentioned after the game that Willis had done some good things for himself to put himself in position to potentially start in Week 1. 

They haven’t made the decision yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Willis as the starter. He had a very good preseason at a spot where, quite frankly, the Niners don’t have a lot of depth.

LBs Tatum Bethune and Jaden Dugger

Now I’m going to combine two players here for my last winner. I know, kind of cheating, but third-year linebacker Tatum Bethune and rookie linebacker Jaden Dugger had to make it. Both guys were all over the field for the 49ers this preseason. 

Dugger was always going to make this team as a rookie, Bethune may have had some debate. I think they both made a lot of plays, and while there’s still stuff to clean up, I really liked what I saw from them. We got to see sacks, pass breakups, interceptions…everything that sticks out on the box score. 

Considering the injury history of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw, they’ve put themselves in a good position to get some real work on the field this year if need be. 

Losers

WR Ricky Pearsall

My No. 1 loser is Ricky Pearsall. Now, you might ask, why would I put Pearsall on this list? He didn’t even play in the preseason. That’s the point. 

Ricky Pearsall is going to miss the entire season undergoing PCL surgery. He played 11 games his rookie year, only nine last year. Availability has been a huge issue for him, and while he’s made good plays on the field when healthy, stuff like that starts to stack up. 

It could bring into question his long-term future with San Francisco.

LG Robert Jones

My second biggest loser goes back to the offensive line. Robert Jones, a free agent brought in on a cheap deal at the left guard spot, had plenty of chances this offseason and preseason to win that job. 

He’s been dealing with some injuries as well lately, and I think he has quite frankly lost the starting spot to Carver Willis. 

Jones tanked his stock heading into the season. Not good for a veteran with a strong opportunity.

DE Romello Height

And my last loser is rookie defensive end Romello Height, the 49ers third-round pick. He did not play against the Raiders in the preseason finale due to a minor ankle tweak.

Against the Chargers and Titans, he logged 31 snaps with no pressures on 22 pass rush opportunities. He did not do very much for himself. 

Look, we know Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams are banged up in that room trying to work back. I thought Height had some opportunity to show what he could do and he didn’t show it.

Heck, Keion White was banged up too but still managed a sack last night as he got into some game action. 

Height had a big opportunity this preseason to make a statement, and he really didn’t.

I’m not ruling him out or writing off his career by any means, but we needed to see more from a third-round pick with that kind of runway in front of him.

Important Upcoming Dates

The time for NFL roster cutdown takes place at 3pm PT on Sunday August 30th. This honestly bodes well for San Francisco as the 49ers staff and front office have much more time than other teams to mull things over. 

Wednesday, September 2nd is the date that Kyle Shanahan and the organization have decided to leave for Melbourne, Australia for the season opener. The 49ers will have a week there as they will face the LA Rams the following Thursday, September 10th. 

Health and depth are going to be the biggest priorities for the San Francisco 49ers in the upcoming days/weeks. This team has been gravely banged up in training camp, but it can all turn around if rehab goes in a positive direction for certain players. 

But for now, all eyes are on this Sunday for the 49ers initial 53-man roster.