Four 49ers Who Need a Strong Performance Against the Titans

Football is finally back.

Well, kind of. The first preseason game for the San Francisco 49ers kicks off today at Levi's Stadium against the Tennessee Titans.

A win or a loss doesn't matter, but it's still a meaningful game. Some players need to perform well to improve their current standing on the roster.

With that said, here are four 49ers who need a strong performance against the Titans.

OL Connor Colby

No other player on the 49ers needs an impressive performance in the first preseason game more than Connor Colby. The starting left guard spot was there for the taking.

Now, he's staring at being a backup to Dominick Puni at right guard. The 49ers have been trying Colby out at right guard while giving Robert Jones the starting reps at left guard in the last week.

That signals Colby hasn't been able to cement himself during the first two weeks of training camp. If he gets reps at left guard in this game, he has to play incredibly well.

Where things stand now for him, they seem ready to abandon any idea of him starting completely. Colby has to make the 49ers rethink their chances of him as the starting left guard.

OL Robert Jones

The same logic applies to Jones. He has a prime opportunity ahead of him. He's been receiving first-team reps in practice, which means the 49ers are intrigued by him.

They want to find out if he's better than Colby, if they don't already think that now. Against the Titans, Jones will need to prove the 49ers right for trying him out as the starter in the last week.

If he falters considerably in this game, it will put the 49ers in a pickle. They will start to pull away from him and look at either Colby at left guard again or give rookie Carver Willis a shot.

CB Jack Jones

Knocking off Renardo Green as the starter is challenging, but Jack Jones has been making a strong case for that. In almost every practice, Jones has been cited for making a few sweet plays.

He's been playing great since the start of training camp. Now, he has to translate that from the practice field into a preseason game.

A strong performance against the Titans won't allow him to supplant Green as the starter. But it will make the 49ers continue to think about it, especially if Green goes through a rough patch.

WR Jordan Watkins

One player who hasn't been cited for the plays they're making is Jordan Watkins. He's not doing a whole lot to stand out, even though he is playing with second- and third-stringers.

Maybe he's better suited to flash when it feels like a game, which makes tonight the perfect opportunity for him. He needs to impress the coaches.

Watkins is buried on the depth chart, but if he goes out there and balls out, the coaches will nod in approval. It will give him momentum for the next week of practice, which he desperately needs.

Otherwise, he will continue as a forgotten player. His roster spot likely isn't on the line, but it will be easier to consider the more he goes unnoticed.

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