49ers Stock Report: The Five Best Investments

If players were stocks, which 49ers would you invest in?

Would you buy the most expensive stock, which most likely would be Fred Warner, the leader of the defense who has missed zero games in his career?

Or would you invest in George Kittle or Nick Bosa -- two pricey, volatile stocks that could pay off big or tank depending on factors our of your control -- i.e. injuries?

Here are the five players I would invest in:

1. Trey Lance.

Lance's stock only will rise. Chris Simms recently ranked Lance the 38th-best quarterback in the league, which is a reasonable ranking for a rookie who never has played a game. But in two years, Lance could be a top-five quarterback in the NFL -- he's that gifted, both physically and mentally. I'm buying low.

2. Samson Ebukam.

Most casual football fans haven't heard of Ebukam. But by the end of this coming season, he could be famous, because he will play a ton on the 49ers, something he didn't do on the Rams. The past two seasons combined, he played a total of just 928 snaps, and in that time he recorded 9 sacks. On the 49ers, he could play 900 snaps in a single season. Which means he could record 9 sacks in 2021.

3. Ross Dwelley.

For the first time in his career, he will enter training camp as the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart. Last season, it was Jordan Reed. The season before, it was Levine Toilolo. Now, Dwelley will be one injury away to Kittle from becoming a starter. And Kittle missed eight games last season, so Dwelley could see a big increase in playing time.

4. Richie James Jr.

Both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk seem to pull muscles and miss games. And if they miss games this year, Richie James Jr. will be the first receiver off the bench. And he's a good player, who could become a major contributor when Lance takes over, because James is a deep threat and Lance throws down field more than Jimmy Garoppolo.

5. Jaylon Moore.

Moore is a penny stock -- the 49ers drafted him in Round 5 this year. But by next year, he could be the starting left guard, because Laken Tomlinson will be a free agent. Moore has a chance to pay big dividends.