Top 5 Camp Battles for the 49ers this Offseason
OTAs start in roughly a week. Here are the top five 49ers camp battles to watch this offseason.
1. Maliek Collins vs. Jordan Elliott
Last season, Collins started for the Texans and Elliott started for the Browns. And while Collins is the better pass rusher and the more expensive player, Elliott is much better against the run, and run defense is the 49ers' biggest issue. So Elliott has a chance to win this competition and start, even if Collins ends up playing more snaps as a pass-rushing specialist.
2. Leonard Floyd vs. Yetur Gross-Matos
Floyd is a 31-year-old pass-rush specialist who played only 54 percent of the Bills defensive snaps last season. Gross-Matos is a run-defender who played three quarters of the Panthers defensive snaps when healthy. If the 49ers want to improve their run defense, then Gross-Matos could win this competition.
3. Isaac Yiadom vs. Renardo Green
YIadom played well as the third cornerback for the Saints last season. The previous five seasons of his career, he was a complete liability. If he reverts to his previous form, the 49ers will have no choice but to start their rookie second-round pick.
4. Jon Feliciano vs. Dominick Puni
Feliciano became the starting right guard by default last season after Spencer Burford struggled and then got injured, but I think the 49ers would prefer both of them to be backups -- that's why they traded up for a guard in Round 3. If Puni lives up to his draft stock, he should start.
5. Jauan Jennings vs. Ricky Pearsall
The 49ers drafted Pearsall in the first round, so they'll be under tremendous pressure to play him right away and his best position is in the slot, where Jauan Jennings lines up. And while Jennings played well in the postseason, he didn't do much in the regular season and he typically struggles during training camp. We'll see if he can hold off his eventual replacement.