What to Watch at 49ers Minicamp this Week

This is a big week for the 49ers.

May 9, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback candidate Derrick Canteen (22) engages in a blocking drill during the teamís rookie minicamp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

This is a big week for the 49ers.

They have minicamp on Tuesday and Wednesday. After that, they'll be off for six weeks before they reconvene for training camp. Which means this is the 49ers' final opportunity to install the offense and defense for the first time.

So it will be interesting to watch the veterans on offense such as Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Brock Purdy. They're always interesting to watch. But the most important players to watch in minicamp are the ones on defense, according to ESPN.

"San Francisco said goodbye to its coordinator and nine defenders who started at least one game last season," writes ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "To try to return that group to previously dominant levels, the 49ers dipped into their successful past, bringing back coordinator Robert Saleh.

"Saleh has built San Francisco's defense from the ground up before, and though he has some core guys at the center of the group this time, the rebuild won't be easy.

"The mandatory minicamp offers a closer look at how Saleh will make the pieces, including three potential rookie starters on the defensive line, fit into a scheme he said has evolved since 2020 when he was last San Francisco's coordinator."

Saleh and the 49ers spent their first five draft picks on defensive players with the hopes that some, if not all, would play right away. For that dream to become a reality, they have to develop quickly in practice. That's why these upcoming practices are so critical.