49ers Position Battles Begin at OTAs: Offense

Depth takes on added importance this year given a schedule that carries more injury risk than last year.

With OTAs underway, the 49ers position battles begin. Depth takes on added importance this year given a schedule that carries more injury risk than last year. A look at offense today, defense tomorrow.

Quarterback (3)
Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, Sam Darnold.

The fan Civil Wars ravage on and seemingly always will. The Niners quarterback controversies go back over 50 years to John Brodie vs. Steve Spurrier in 1972. We know drama.

A diagnosis on Purdy’s recovery will be made in early June. All eyes will be on Lance’s improved mechanics and percentage of practice reps. Darnold continues to get talked up in national media as an option, but his high turnover history is a concern.

The dust at quarterback will settle with time, answers on Purdy’s health, and the play of Lance and Darnold at OTAs and training camp. The NFL allowing a 3rd emergency quarterback to suit up on game day is a welcome relief to the injury-plagued Niners.

Running Back (5-6)
Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Khalan Laborn, Kyle Juszczyk
Bubble: Ty Davis-Price

Davis-Price was not a Bobby Turner selection, and the opinion of the Niners legendary running back coach carries tremendous weight. TDP has his work cut out as Laborn, a former 5-star recruit as the best back out of his high school class, has stood out early. Putting Laborn on the practice squad could be a risk, because he could get poached.

Fullback may be in transition. Juszczyk’s contract in 2024 has a small dead cap hit making it easier to release him next year. Will the Niners keep a fullback or transition to a two tight end set?

Oregon State’s Jack Colletto would be a practice squad candidate at fullback. Jason Poe played some FB at Mercer. Brayden Willis was an H-Back at Oklahoma but is best used at the line given his inline blocking ability. If Colletto is cut, the Niners may be looking at phasing out fullback long-term. If he’s kept, the status quo continues.

Wide Receiver (5)
Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell
Bubble: Danny Gray, Chris Conley, Tay Martin

Gray could join Trey Sermon as a 3rd rounder cut in Year 2. Gray had one catch for 10 yards on seven targets last year. He has elite speed, but OTAs will tell the story on what he’s done to develop his body and his game in the off-season. Gray will need to take the sophomore leap to hold off Bell, Conley, and Martin for his roster spot.  Bell caught six of seven targets in Tuesday's OTAs.

Tight End (3-4)
George Kittle, Brayden Willis, Cameron Latu
Bubble: Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner

This is another indicator of the 49ers future plans. Carrying four tight ends could signal a move to a two-TE system. Only keeping three would indicate status quo. The first three are locks, the bubble players will have to prove they can contribute as reliable blockers.

Offensive Line (9)
Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford, Colton McKivitz, Jon Feliciano, Nick Zakelj, Jason Poe, Jaylon Moore
Bubble: Jake Fisher, Matt Pryor, Ilm Manning

The plan here revolves around backup tackle. Would they turn to Feliciano, Zakelj, or Burford as an emergency backup? If so then Pryor is on the outside looking in. Zakelj and Burford played tackle in college but were moved inside for a reason in the NFL. Burford was vulnerable laterally on an island at UTSA and Zakelj lacked NFL-ready strength for tackle at Hofstra. Burford has clearly bulked up and looks good.

Fisher got dehydrated at rookie camp, but his core strength and speed make him an intriguing candidate for the active roster. Manning looked good at center in rookie camp but the position is loaded with depth, he could be a practice squad candidate. Pryor has immense size that works in the running game but he’s vulnerable in pass pro.

One of the keys to look for in OTA will be which players have powered up and transformed their bodies. This will be particularly important on the offensive line with significant depth on the interior.