One 49ers Rookie With the Best Chance to Surprise Everyone

One of the best parts about the San Francisco 49ers entering training camp is seeing how their rookies look.

This year’s draft class was a heavily scrutinized one, so this is the 49ers' first step towards being justified. All eyes will be on wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and running back Kaelon Black since they were viewed as the biggest reaches.

However, what will be the most fascinating to follow from the 49ers’ rookies is if one of them can be a surprise performer. And I know just the perfect rookie who has the best chance to surprise everyone.

The 49ers rookie with the best chance is…

It’s cornerback Ephesians Prysock. As a fourth-round draft pick, there aren't many, if any, expectations for Prysock. That is usually the case for players drafted on Day 3.

No one on the 49ers is anticipating him to look amazing immediately, except for maybe defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. He is a defensive backs-oriented coach, so he must have seen something in Prysock.

He had to have been one of the advocates for the 49ers to draft him. And with the way the 49ers have added cornerbacks this offseason, they’re putting Renardo Green’s starting job on the line.

Deommodore Lenoir and Upton Stout are locked in as the starters. Green isn’t with the way Kyle Shanahan spoke about him earlier this offseason. Their actions indicate that a competition will take place at outside cornerback.

Green should emerge as the victor, but there’s a chance Prysock can put pressure on him. He has the physical traits that the 49ers haven’t had at the position for quite some time. Richard Sherman was one of their last and best ones.

With Prysock, the 49ers have a cornerback who can match up well with tall, big-body possession receivers. He has that advantage over Green, and with Mike Evans in the fold, Prysock can look better in reps against Evans than Green.

That’ll go a long way for him and get the 49ers thinking. You can tack that on top of the competition as a reason he can surprise. He’ll have a shot to get looked at without needing an injury to another player.

An honorable mention can go to linebacker Jaden Dugger, as I doubt Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner will see a ton of training camp action. Edge rusher Romello Height is also already on the radar.

As for the rest of the rookies, I give them zero chance to make any sort of impression. Prysock is the best one with Morris’ potential advocacy, the starting role up for grabs, and he can show the benefit of his physical advantage.

It won’t be easy by any means, but the path is laid for him to start, which no one will have seen coming.

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