49ers' Week 7 Loss Reveals 4 Rising Players

While the San Francisco 49ers lost in Week 7, they did see some performers step up and improve their stock. Who might come out of the bye week with more work or a greater appreciation for their role?

4 San Francisco 49ers Stock Up Players

Malik Mustapha

Mustapha started his third straight game after being benched to start the season. He allowed a touchdown but otherwise was strong in his start with a couple of impact tackles. Combining this with his Monday Night Football performance speaks to a player who is going to be hard to bench in the coming weeks.

Ji’Ayir Brown struggled again, so when Marques Sigle returns from injury, the 49ers might consider starting Mustapha next to Sigle. They have been the two best safeties this season.

Jordan Watkins

Watkins has slowly but surely started to come around for the 49ers. He did not produce much in his rookie season due to injuries. Then, an offseason injury derailed the start of his 2026 season. He got on the field for Week 4 and produced 60 yards. However, the 49ers pushed some veterans over him in recent weeks. With Mike Evans out, he saw more work and put up 56 yards. He also had a game-changing touchdown reception that would have been an impressive catch.

With Brandin Cooks and Jacob Cowing rotating in and getting snaps, the team is better off playing Watkins as one of their best receivers and benching those two.

James Thompson

Thompson made the team as a UDFA. He saw some work in the first couple of weeks but suffered an ankle injury, causing him to miss multiple games. He came back in Week 6 and had a limited role. Then, Week 7 was the best game of his NFL career. He had a career-high 28 snaps, recorded his first career pressure, and had two quality run stops. Now, he can take the bye week to get completely healthy and mentally prepare for a home stretch.

Ephesians Prysock

Prysock was inactive for the first few weeks of the season. Then, he stepped in and played special teams for a few weeks. San Francisco only played him for two snaps in Week 7, but he saw the field for the first time.

Ashtyn Davis is a disaster as a backup slot, and Jack Jones has been picked on the outside. They should try Prysock as their fourth defensive back.

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