The 49ers Storylines That Are Worth Paying Attention to at OTAs

These are the ones that matter.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While OTAs are essentially just glorified walk-throughs, there can be some things to take away that turn out to be worthwhile storylines. What are the storylines that might not just be summer fluff when the San Francisco 49ers attend OTAs?

Who gets the first chance at left guard?

While the left guard competition will not be decided until much deeper into training camp, what we see at OTAs will give us a heads up on what to expect from the competition. On paper, the 49ers have three options worthy of being in the competition. Still, the pecking order will tell us a lot. Does Connor Colby get the first crack due to familiarity or does a fresh face jump right in with the first team?

Who is the swing man at left tackle?

Trent Williams is back, but he is hardly going to do much in the offseason. It will give the backup left tackle a great chance to work with the first team in case Williams goes down with an injury. Still, is it Vederian Lowe, the free agent addition, Enrique Cruz, the draft pick, or Austen Pleasants, who started in Week 18 last season?

Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

Who starts returning kicks for the 49ers?

Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said that he expects five to seven names to be in the mix for each return job. He also said that the person who wins the kick return job might not be the same person who wins the punt return job. What does the order look like for this spot, and which players are getting longer looks for punts compared to kicks?

How does the cornerback rotation look?

The 49ers are bringing back all three starting cornerbacks from last year. At the same time, they have a new defensive coordinator, and he brought in three cornerbacks worthy of pushing the starters. Two free agents started large portions of last year, and rookie Ephesians Prysock has the most long-term potential. Do the new names work with the past starters?

How does the linebacker rotation look?

We know that Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are the top two starters at linebacker. Everything after that is questionable. Tatum Bethun, Luke Gifford, Garett Wallow, Jaden Dugger, and Nick Martin will all be in the mix. However, the roles and the pecking order are undefined. As one of these names will not be on the first or second team.