5 Non-Quarterback 49ers to Watch this Preseason
The San Francisco 49ers’ first preseason game is set for Saturday, Aug. 14. at 5:30 p.m.
It will be the first chance for fans to check out players, specifically quarterback Trey Lance, with their own eyes.
A lot of the conversation on 49ers Twitter has deservedly been directed toward which quarterback wins a given day. This has overshadowed other competitions.
So let’s highlight some players to be excited about this preseason:
Trent Sherfield, Wide Receiver, #81
Initially thought of as depth and as a special teams contributor, wide receiver Trent Sherfield has been the breakout star of the first few weeks of training camp.
The fourth-year pro seems to be the front-runner for the third wide receiver role thanks to his many practice highlights that have littered Twitter.
Sherfield entered the year with 28 catches, one touchdown, 17 first downs and 340 yards on 48 catches with Arizona.
Mohamed Sanu Sr. and Richie James are Sherfield’s stiffest competition for the third receiver role. Fans should be familiar with both.
It’s vital that a wide receiver, outside of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, steps up.
Sherfield is the betting favorite.
Aaron Banks, Offensive Guard, #65
The 49ers retained left tackle Trent Williams in free agency, but still needed to bulk up their interior offensive line.
They did just that with the signing of veteran center Alex Mack, and by selecting Notre Dame offensive guard Aaron Banks in the second round.
Banks would add much-needed toughness and muscle to an offensive line that sorely missed that last season.
He’s competing with Swiss Army Knife Daniel Brunskill and second-year Colton McKivitz for the starting right guard role.
Banks offers a different right guard physique than any that head coach Kyle Shanahan has had the past five years.
Shanahan’s right guard in 2016 with Atlanta, Chris Chester, was listed at 303 pounds and his five main right guards with San Francisco, Brandon Fusco (306 pounds), Mike Person (300 pounds), Tom Compton (315 pounds), McKivitz (301 pounds) and Brunskill (300 pounds) are all significantly lighter than Banks (325 pounds).
It will be extremely interesting to watch how he is utilized, and if that added muscle changes the run scheme.
Dee Ford, Edge Rusher, #55
When healthy, Dee Ford is one of the better pass rushers in the NFL, and would make quite the trifecta with 2019 first round pick Nick Bosa and free agent signee Samson Ebukam.
Ford has pretty much lost the past year and a half to injury, however, making him one of the biggest mysteries for San Francisco.
It seems Ford is finally healthy, which should excite 49er fans. With very low expectations, any production would be welcome for a pass-rush that is in need of severe depth on the outside.
Given his injury history, it’s highly unlikely we see much of Ford this preseason. The 49ers will be smart.
Whenever No. 55 is on the field, watch how fast he is off the snap. The defense needs him.
Javon Kinlaw, Defensive Tackle, #99
Fair or not, 2020 first round pick Javon Kinlaw and DeForest Buckner will be compared for the remainder of Kinlaw’s tenure with the 49ers.
Kinlaw did not fill up the stat sheet last season, like his All Pro predecessor did with San Francisco, which led to some way-too-early bust labelings.
It was impossible for Kinlaw to live up to Buckner-level expectations in his rookie year, especially without a preseason, but he was not bad.
He’ll get that chance this preseason. He has exceptional athleticism, high potential, and a year of experience under his belt.
Kinlaw also benefits from having Bosa, Ford, Ebukam, and/or Arik Armstead rushing by his side. It’s much harder to double-team Kinlaw when you must account for Bosa.
Watch how he takes advantage of his first preseason and see if he stands out, like Buckner consistently did.
Ambry Thomas, Cornerback, #20
The 49ers have Jason Verrett and Emmanuel Moseley penciled in first on their opening depth chart.
Yet, neither Moseley, nor Verrett has a great injury history.
It has become abundantly clear that veteran Dontae Johnson is not able to pick up the slack if Verrett or Moseley were to go down.
That’s why third round pick Ambry Thomas must step up.
Thomas is extremely talented, but he opted out of the 2020 season at the University of Michigan. It would be great if he were to step in and win the starting job from Moseley with no growing pains, but that’s unlikely given his year away from competitive games.
Watch his eyes, hips and how fluid his coverage is against the many talented receivers the 49ers play the first few weeks of preseason. It’s imperative he adjusts to the NFL speed as quickly as possible.
He might be the starter Week 1. He might be the starter Week 12. One way or another, he’ll get a start this season.
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