Rookies continue to shine: Stock up, stock down for the 49ers after preseason victory over the Saints
It wasn't the night Brock Purdy wanted as he struggled in the San Francisco 49ers' preseason win over the New Orleans Saints. Purdy completed only two passes for 11 yards as a supporting cast of backups proved ill-equipped to put him in a position to get into a rhythm. Given the situation he was put […]
It wasn't the night Brock Purdy wanted as he struggled in the San Francisco 49ers' preseason win over the New Orleans Saints.
Purdy completed only two passes for 11 yards as a supporting cast of backups proved ill-equipped to put him in a position to get into a rhythm.
Given the situation he was put in, it's difficult to take much from Purdy's showing, but there was plenty to take away from other performances in the 49ers' lone home exhibition of the year. Let's look at who helped their stock and who should be a little concerned after the second preseason game.
Stock Up
Rookies
For the sake of brevity, it's difficult to go into detail on the performance of every rookie.
But it was another strong night for the 49ers' 2024 draft class as a host of first-year players stood out. Third-rounder Dominick Puni took another step towards starting at right guard with a second successive impressive showing while sixth-rounder Jarrett Kingston was faultless at both left and right guard, markedly increasing his chances of making the initial 53.
Second-rounder Renardo Green had an excellent pass breakup and fourth-round wide receiver Jacob Cowing had a debut to remember, his 38-yard reception from Joshua Dobbs arguably the standout play of the night.
Seventh-round pick Tatum Bethune followed an outstanding effort in the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans by leading the 49ers with nine tackles, and undrafted free agent running back Cody Schrader ran significantly better than his 15 yards on seven carries suggested. The fact Schrader did not play in the second half indicates he is in a strong spot to make the 53.
Said Kyle Shanahan of Schrader after the game: "He knows how to run the ball, he hits the right holes, doesn’t mess around, lowers his pads and falls forward. He’s been good in practice and he’s done a good job with his opportunity these two games."
Decisiveness and yards after contact, sounds very much like the ideal Shanahan back.
Linebackers
Bethune's strong effort was one of many by San Francisco's linebackers.
Even with Dre Greenlaw continuing to recover from a torn Achilles, linebacker looks set to remain one of the deepest positions on the 49er roster.
De'Vondre Campbell appeared fresh in his debut for San Francisco in a season in which he will hope to prove the disappointing end to his career with the Green Bay Packers was not his fault. With last year's sixth-round pick Dee Winters out with a sore knee, 2023 seventh-rounder Jalen Graham shone with five tackles and a sack.
Curtis Robinson also stood out once again. Robinson was all over the field for the second straight week, leading many to suggest a player who was on the practice squad last year is on course to make the 53.
Shanahan summed up the good problem the 49ers have at linebacker when asked about Robinson.
“Curtis just gets better each year. He’s been here for a while, helps out a lot on special teams, runs the show as the MIKE linebacker," said Shanahan. "I’ve really enjoyed having Curtis here and he gets better each week and I have some tough decisions here when it comes down to the end."
Joshua Dobbs
The battle for the 49ers' second-string quarterback job has been closer than many might have envisaged, with Brandon Allen pushing free-agent signing Dobbs, who has endured an up-and-down training camp as he has adjusted to the Shanahan offense.
Both impressed against the Titans, but on Sunday it was Dobbs who was the star of the show, electrifying the Levi's Stadium crowd with his ability to improvise and make things happen outside the structure of the offense.
Dobbs had 133 yards on 12 completions, along with 25 yards rushing and the 49ers' only touchdown.
It's difficult to say that Dobbs won the QB2 competition outright, especially as Allen also performed well in his third-quarter effort. However, it's clear that Dobbs has more upside than Allen and, as such, he would probably be a better bet to win a game in a pinch if Purdy was to go down.
"He’s a baller, man. He makes plays, goes through his reads and brings energy. He is out there making plays and guys feed off it," Purdy said of Dobbs.
"That’s football. It’s not always going to be pretty and you drop back and everything’s going to be perfect. You’re going to have to make plays off-schedule and bring some juice to the team and guys feed off that. So love having him in the room. Like I said, he’s pretty electric."
Stock Down
Jaylon Moore
Moore wasn't the lone cause of Purdy's struggles in the starting quarterback's three series on the field, but he certainly contributed to the amount of pressure his signal-caller came under.
Producing a performance that did not vindicate the 49ers' vocal faith in him as the backup to Trent Williams at left tackle, Moore allowed the Saints to put Purdy under regular duress in a severely underwhelming showing.
Given the credit he has already built up after two strong regular-season performances in relief of Williams last season, Moore can likely still look forward to a place on the roster.
But any thought of the 49ers being comfortable in starting Moore Week 1 if they can't agree on a reworked deal to end Williams' holdout should now be gone. The 49ers need to get that deal done and fast.
Ricky Pearsall and Isaac Guerendo
Only two of the 49ers' draft picks have not played in preseason, and it is the two under the most pressure to show why San Francisco had such conviction in picking them.
First-round pick Pearsall remains sidelined with a shoulder injury and, with Cowing now on the field and catching the eye, risks falling down the pecking order in a season that initially looked like it could be very promising during the offseason workout program when he was building an impressive rapport with Purdy.
"We’re seeing how his shoulder reacts this week," Shanahan said of Pearsall. "He’s running routes, feeling good and stuff, but we don’t want to put him in there with getting hit and things like that and some awkward positions until we know we can pass all the tests and do everything. So, he’s day-to-day right now."
Guerendo, meanwhile, is expected to finally return from a hamstring injury next week. Yet one could argue that, with Jordan Mason taking a firm grip on the RB2 role and Schrader taking advantage of the extra reps he has received, the damage has already been done for a player the 49ers traded up for in the fourth round.
Assuming Guerendo can suit up on Friday against the Las Vegas Raiders in the preseason finale, he will be under pressure to change the narrative.
Ronnie Bell
Bell, last year's seventh-round pick, cracked the 53 as a rookie after a strong preseason. The former Michigan man now appears set for the opposite fate.
He caught only two of his seven targets for 15 yards, displaying inconsistent hands and a lack of understanding with the 49ers' backup quarterbacks.
Not afraid to do the dirty work, Bell's efforts as a blocker will endear him to Shanahan, but the reality is he is not showing enough as a pure pass-catcher to have a serious case to stay on the roster. The likelihood is he will be playing deep into the fourth quarter in the third and final exhibition, and that will not be a good sign for him sticking around.
49ers rookie proves worth the wait and helps Joshua Dobbs take giant leap towards QB2 job
He came up huge for his QB.
