One thing each San Francisco 49ers rookie must accomplish in training camp to make an impact in 2024
It was overshadowed by Brandon Aiyuk requesting a trade, but the San Francisco 49ers' rookie class reported for training camp on Tuesday. San Francisco elected to give its first-year players an extra week to prepare before veterans are due to report on July 23. The week is being used for conditioning, with the serious business […]
It was overshadowed by Brandon Aiyuk requesting a trade, but the San Francisco 49ers' rookie class reported for training camp on Tuesday.
San Francisco elected to give its first-year players an extra week to prepare before veterans are due to report on July 23.
The week is being used for conditioning, with the serious business then getting going next Tuesday.
Not every rookie from the eight draft picks and eight undrafted free agents will have a role to play in 2024. However, they can all boost their hopes of a successful rookie year in camp. Here we look at one thing each player can do to maximize their chances of achieving their aims this season.
Ricky Pearsall must get healthy, and then pick up where he left off
After it was revealed Brandon Aiyuk had requested a trade, the 49ers received more bad news, with first-round pick Pearsall placed on the non-football injury list after reporting for camp.
Per Matt Barrows of The Athletic, his injury is not thought to be serious. Still, for a player who impressed so significantly in OTAs and minicamp, it is imperative he shakes it off quickly.
With the potential for an Aiyuk holdout, when healthy Pearsall could have an opportunity to get more first-team reps in practice and further a rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy that was, by all accounts, burgeoning during OTAs and minicamp. If he can do so, Pearsall could have a much more significant role to play as a rookie than many thought when he was drafted.
Renardo Green needs to prove early flashes weren't a false dawn
The 49ers put a lot on the plate of Renardo Green in his first practices with the team, asking him to play both outside corner and a role of nickel with which he was less familiar in college.
San Francisco's coaching staff has been very impressed with how he has attacked the challenge of playing both spots, breeding hope he could vindicate the 49ers' assessment that Green has the ability to excel at nickel.
Should Green continue his positive momentum into training camp and give the Niners the confidence to start him at nickel in year one, that would allow San Francisco to keep Deommodore Lenoir on the outside full time, rather than having him switch between that position and the slot as he did last year.
The 49ers raised eyebrows with each of their first two picks, but they both have the chance to prove the Niners right in a hurry.
Dominick Puni has to prove he can run block effectively
San Francisco's third-round pick is likely to start his career at guard, though he appears to be a long shot to claim the starting right guard job ahead of Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford.
Pass protection is not the issue for the versatile Puni, who did not concede a single sack across his final two seasons at Kansas. He played one of those seasons at guard and another at tackle.
Instead, offensive line coach Chris Foerster made it clear Puni must get better as a run blocker if he is to have a shot of starting as a rookie.
Feliciano and Burford, despite a key mistake in the Super Bowl, have a lot of credit in the bank. Puni, therefore, has a big challenge ahead of him to try to win a starting job, and he must literally hit the ground running in camp to do so.
Malik Mustapha must remove the need for a veteran signing
Right now, it's difficult to look at the 49ers' depth chart at safety without thinking they should dip into a still deep veteran market to bolster it.
The 49ers' main backups behind Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga are rookie fourth-round pick Mustapha and special teamer George Odum.
As such, it would be no surprise to see the Niners use their healthy amount of cap space to remove concerns about their safety depth by signing a veteran like Justin Simmons or Quandre Diggs.
But the 49ers are fans of Mustapha's tackling and his versatility in being able to make plays at all three levels. For the 49ers to be more confident in the depth they have at safety, they need Mustapha to demonstrate the best of his varied skill set early and often in camp.
Isaac Guerendo needs to continue to show the detail
The 49ers traded two fifth-round picks to move up in the fourth round to take running back Guerendo primairly because of his 4.3 speed.
But it wasn't just his home-run hitting ability that saw running backs coach Bobby Turner give Guerendo the seal of approval.
“I didn't know at the time it was the fastest but knew he could run and I knew he had size," said Turner. "And then when I was talking to him, he is very detailed. He understood what I was asking and had the ability to explain it.
“I also want a player to know what the person next to him is doing. In other words, ‘What are the offensive line assignments? Who are the pullers? What’s their most important block on that play?’ [Also] to be able to run with their eyes, have great vision. And then when there’s daylight there, to be able to hit the hole and make the big play. That whole ordeal, I was impressed with."
Guerendo has a distinct opportunity as a rookie to stake his claim to be Christian McCaffrey's main backup, with Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason clear candidates to be cut or traded. His success in taking it will hinge on his ability to continue to show a detailed approach.
Jacob Cowing has to show deep threat or special teams upside
While Pearsall impressed during the workout program, Cowing missed some of it due to injury.
He worked out with Pearsall and Deebo Samuel during the dead period, however, and like Guerendo, brings an intriguing speed element to the offense.
Even with Aiyuk potentially holding out, the path to significant snaps is not clear for Cowing, who will need to either convince Shanahan that his field-stretching ability is worth getting on the field early or make a successful pitch to serve as a kick or punt returner in order to have any kind of noteworthy role in 2024.
Jarrett Kingston must showcase his flexibility
Puni is a near-lock to make the roster with his five-position upside and third-round draft status. It figures to be more difficult as a sixth-round selection for Kingston, but he has the versatility to play both guard and tackle. He'll need to demonstrate that flexibility to prove he is worthy of a 53-man roster spot as a rookie.
Tatum Bethune needs to prove he can be a special teams gem
The final pick of the 49ers' draft, Bethune is not likely to be a contributor as a linebacker in year one, but the speed he demonstrated in defending the run at Florida State makes him an easy projection as a special teams contributor
With the new kickoff rules meaning returns may look a lot like run plays, Bethune must prove such a projection to be an accurate one by flashing on special teams.
Undrafted free agent bonus round
Evan Anderson needs to vindicate the 49ers' belief he can fill the D.J. Jones void by excelling against the run.
Cody Schrader must show he is worthy of a place on the 53 by demonstrating his ability to influence the game outside of running the ball.
Jaylen Mahoney has to display his multi-position upside to at least put himself in position for a practice squad berth. The safety played every position in the secondary at Vanderbilt.
Mason Pline must prove his basketball player athleticism is worth keeping on a crowded tight end depth chart despite a lack of experience.
Briason Mays needs to make the most of his athletic gifts to convince the 49ers he is a worthy offensive line project to retain on the practice squad.
Drake Nugent has to impress on outside zone reps to further his hopes of being a long-term successor to Jake Brendel at center.
Tanner Mordecai must show off his mobility in likely very limited reps to put himself in position to be the practice squad quarterback.
Terique Owens needs to show his Hall of Fame bloodlines are worth keeping on the practice squad.
49ers, Seahawks set for best uniform matchup of the 2024 season during primetime encounter
It’s going to be very easy to watch.
