Five 49ers who Need a Good Performance Versus the Raiders

49ers football is officially back.

The first preseason game for the red and gold is right around the corner in a matchup with the Raiders. This game will be a chance for so many players on the team to earn their stripes with the coaches.

Here are five 49ers who need a good performance versus the Raiders in the first preseason game.

OT Colton McKivitz

The right side of the 49ers offensive line is a question mark, especially at right tackle. Colton McKivitz takes over as the starter now with Mike McGlinchey in Denver. This will be the first glimpse to see where McKivitz is at. It's unclear how much he will play and if he even gets to face stout pass rushers Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones.

But this game will still act as a litmus test. Even if he faces against depth players, it will be expected of him to handle them fairly easy. It's one thing to let elite edge rushers get the best of you, it's another if McKivitz struggles against depth players. That will act as a huge red flag even if it is limited action in a preseason game.

CB D'Shawn Jamison

One of the more propped up and praised players is cornerback D'Shawn Jamison. Players and coaches have nothing but amazing things to say about the undrafted corner out of the University of Texas. Now is the time for him to live up to that hype. He's already impressed everyone in practice, but it will be moot if he goes out in a game and falters.

"He made some plays out here this week, but in a game-like situation, will he step up? So, I think he will, but hopefully he'll show up because he has done some great things for us," said Steve Wilks.

As someone who enjoys watching cornerbacks, I'm excited to see what Jamison can do. It would be fantastic if he turns out to be a solid player in case the 49ers need him to cover for Charvarius Ward or Deommodore Lenoir. Cornerback depth is a luxury, and with Jamison, there's a chance that the 49ers might get that.

RB Ty Davis-Price

So much praise has been bestowed upon Ty Davis-Price that he now has built up a huge stack of hype on him. Because of that, it makes for a good performance against the Raiders needed. This is the time where a running back who is buried on the depth chart can standout. Practice is great and all, but defenders in practice are not trying to steamroll him.

How will Davis-Price look when defenders will be trying to lay hat on him and actually bring him down? His toughness will be tested immensely as well as his ability to read his lanes. There were times last year where he showed to bounce out to the outside way too early as if he was afraid of contact. Apparently, that hasn't been the case for him as he has "improved" back in camp. Time for him to show that in a live action game.

WR Danny Gray

Ray-Ray McCloud is set to miss around eight weeks due to a broken wrist. That means the opportunities for Danny Gray will increase. He has to take advantage of this and not let other wide receivers get ahead of him. The preseason game against the Raiders will be his time to shine. Best part of this for him is he will have Trey Lance throwing to him for the first half.

The last time these two got together in a preseason game, they connected in a simple go route on the sideline. The arm of Lance and the speed of Gray should once again find each other. But I expect Kyle Shanahan to call some short routes for Gray as well as putting him out there for running plays to show his blocking ability. He needs to prove he is willing and improving there as Shanahan values that highly for a wide receiver.

QB Trey Lance

Last but not least is Trey Lance. Of course there was going to be a quarterback listed here and it wasn't going to be Sam Darnold. For Lance, this is a game for him to get a leg up on Darnold and increase his value with a good performance. I'd even argue that he needs to be more than simply good. He likely needs to be excellent with everything. Doing so will put him in a good spot on the team should Purdy miss time or play miserable for a stretch.

Now, it will take more than one preseason game to do that, but this first game is the initial step he needs. It will also give him a chance to impress teams who may be watching to see if Lance is worth acquiring, and that possibly might be what is best for him. Anything less than a good performance will only hurt him.