5 49ers Whose Stock Decreased in Preseason Finale vs. Raiders

Finally, the preseason is over for the San Francisco 49ers after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders.

That game was the last chance for players to make a statement to the coaching staff. Or it was a chance for them to falter. Unfortunately, quite a few of them did. Here are five 49ers whose stock decreased in the preseason finale.

WR Jordan Watkins

Could this have been a worse performance for Jordan Watkins? I don't think so. His bad performance mostly stems from facing the Raiders' starting defense.

First, he looked out of place when he was returning a kickoff. That's usually Jacob Cowing's role, but since Cowing was inactive, the 49ers called upon Watkins to see what he could do.

Now they know he can't do it. Ever. Not only can he not do that, but he can't run his route at full speed, which is what he did on his first target from Mac Jones.

Watkins had a chance to increase his stock in this game with Cowing out, but all he did was hurt it. I can't find any compelling reason to keep him on the final 53-man roster.

OL Connor Colby

It was clear after the preseason opener that Connor Colby was no longer part of the starting left guard competition. Rookie Carver Willis is who the 49ers are investing in.

But considering the 49ers are thin at left guard, why not see if Colby can do better with a few series? Well, it's because he's mediocre at the position.

The 49ers would much rather have him hold it down as the backup at right guard to Dominick Puni, who is currently dealing with concussion-like symptoms again. It seems he's more comfortable there.

A lot of this became clear, but this game further emphasizes how poor his skill is. He was the lead candidate to win the job, and the 49ers didn't even wanna try him in the preseason. Unreal.

DT Alfred Collins

Anytime a player is playing deep into the preseason game, which is into the second half, it's alarming. That's exactly what happened to Alfred Collins.

That's not a positive indictment of him at all. If the 49ers are playing him in the second half of a preseason finale, it means they're not seeing enough from him, if anything.

They're not wrong. Collins couldn't make his presence felt at any point in the game, and he went up against backups for the majority of the game. Not ideal for a former second-round pick.

DT C.J. West

The same goes for C.J. West. He played through the second half of the preseason finale, too. The 49ers want to see more out of him. They need to.

As it stands, defensive tackle is a concern for the 49ers. It's safe to say that rookie Gracen Halton is a much better option there than West or Collins.

Neither player made an impact in this game. You have to wonder if they ever will ascend this season. The fact that the 49ers want them getting reps means they're questioning that as well.

LB Jaden Dugger

Rookie Jaden Dugger didn't damage his stock much, but it did take a bit of a hit. It mainly derives from his reps against the Raiders' starters.

That was his chance to show he could perform against starters, and how did he start it off? By whiffing on a tackle and allowing the ball carrier to take off for a sizable gain.

He wasn't popping off the screen like he was in previous preseason games, which happened against backups. Again, it's not concerning. You'd just like to see him look like he belongs out there after what he's shown.

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