SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers wrapped their 18th practice of the summer on Tuesday and will have one more before Friday’s preseason finale in Las Vegas.
Then on Tuesday they and the rest of the NFL will trim their rosters to 53 players.
So where do things stand? Here’s one summertime thought for every offensive player on the 90-man squad. We’ll cover the defensive players on Thursday.
Quarterbacks
Brock Purdy: He’s looked exactly like his 2023 self. Which is to say, he usually gets the ball out quickly and uses his fast feet to keep plays alive. A critique? Purdy’s not afraid of aggressive throws, an instinct that sometimes turns into big plays (See: pass to Brandon Aiyuk in NFC Championship Game) and sometimes turns into interceptions. He’s across-the-field attempt to Eric Saubert on Sunday, which was nearly picked off, makes us wonder whether he’ll reduce his 11 interceptions from last season.
Joshua Dobbs: He was wobbly at the start of training camp but steadied himself as he’s picked up the offense. Dobbs’ running ability hasn’t been much of a factor in practices, but it certainly has in games. It’s a stark difference between him and the other No. 2 hopeful, Brandon Allen.
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Brandon Allen: He’s gotten far more work than he did last year and he’s usually been the de facto No. 2 quarterback in practice. The 49ers would be comfortable with him in that role this season. The question is whether they think Dobbs has more upside. In NFL parlance, Allen has the higher floor, Dobbs the higher ceiling.
Tanner Mordecai: The undrafted rookie might have the best fastball on the team, and he didn’t look out of place in the fourth quarter Sunday. Mordecai isn’t going to pull a Purdy and leapfrog anyone his rookie year. But a season on the practice squad seems possible.
Running backs
Christian McCaffrey: McCaffrey stood out last year by practicing at full bore in the spring, a time when most established veterans are on the sideline. He didn’t do that this spring and has been missing with a calf injury in recent practices. The issue isn’t expected to linger into September, but you have to wonder if he’ll start the regular season with the same momentum he had last year.
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Jordan Mason: Injuries to McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell have resulted in plenty of first-team snaps for the hard-charging Mason and he’s made the most of them. He’s still not a graceful pass catcher. But the more first-string reps he gets, the more the coaching staff will trust him in a bigger role this season. Mason is currently out with a hip injury.
Elijah Mitchell: It’s been a typical summer for Mitchell: He’s looked sharp when healthy, but he’s been hurt (hamstring) half the time. Our guess is that Mitchell still would be San Francisco’s top tailback if McCaffrey had to miss any time. The question, as it always is with Mitchell, is how long he’d last in that role.
Cody Schrader: The undrafted Schrader has been one of the team’s best — and most consistent — rookies. At 5 foot 8 with 28-inch arms, he’s not much of a target in the passing game. But he runs with purpose, makes the correct cuts and, unlike all the other runners on the roster, has taken part in every practice and game this summer.
Cody Schrader, an undrafted rookie from Missouri, has surged into the lead for the No. 4 running back role. (Steve Roberts / USA Today)
Isaac Guerendo: The fourth-round pick strained his hamstring on the first day of training camp and only returned to practice on Tuesday. Is that enough time to wrestle the No. 4 tailback role from Schrader? It might be if Guerendo jumps out in Friday’s preseason finale at running back and/or kick returner.
Matt Breida: He didn’t look much like the Breida of old when he showed up two weeks ago. Recently, however, he’s started to return to form and seemed more like his former self Sunday, including on a 21-yard catch-and-run pass from Dobbs.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn: It’s hard to see the 49ers holding onto Vaughn, whom they signed two weeks ago after injuries bit into the position. Still, he looked good in the second half Sunday. His 6-yard average was easily the best of the team’s tailbacks.
Patrick Taylor Jr.: He needed to make a summertime splash to stick around beyond cut-down day. Instead, he’s been one of the many tailbacks who have been out with an injury (foot). Taylor also was back on Tuesday.
Kyle Juszczyk, FB: Something that’s been clear this summer: The 49ers don’t have another fullback or even fullback-like player on the roster. The backup tight ends that have filled in on Juszczyk’s off days have been a far cry from the real thing.
Wide receivers
Deebo Samuel Sr.: Samuel might get another bite at free agency after this season and he’s been preparing like he will. He’s lighter than he’s been since his rookie year (he was 214 pounds at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine) and has been Purdy’s favorite wide receiver target in camp. Historically, summertime rapports like that carry over to the fall.
Brandon Aiyuk: Even if Aiyuk and the 49ers suddenly solve their contract impasse, you have to wonder how quickly he can round into form. Last year, he was the top player on the field in spring and summer practices, momentum he parlayed into the best season of his career. This year? His most recent 49ers practice came at UNLV when preparing for the Super Bowl.
Jauan Jennings: Training camp has been a bit disjointed for Jennings, who missed a few practices with a sprained ankle and is currently out with an oblique issue. Otherwise, he’s looked like himself.
Chris Conley: Like Samuel, he’s been Mr. Consistent in training camp. Conley doesn’t have Aiyuk’s quickness and ability to separate. But his deep speed is still intact at age 31, and the guess here is that if the Aiyuk stalemate lingers, Conley will see a lot of snaps at Aiyuk’s split-end spot.
Jacob Cowing: He waited until the very last minute to do it, but Cowing showed Sunday what the 49ers wanted to see from him: someone who can stretch the field vertically (and horizontally), and who looks comfortable on punt returns. If Cowing has another mistake-free outing at punt returner Friday, he’ll become the frontrunner for that role.
Jacob Cowing’s well-timed return from injury has him firmly in the mix to be the 49ers’ punt returner. (Robert Kupbens / USA Today)
Ricky Pearsall: Hamstring and shoulder injuries have limited Pearsall to a handful of training camp practices. A silver lining: He played a lot in the spring, showed off the separation skills the 49ers saw in college and developed some chemistry with Purdy. And as Cowing showed recently, all it takes is a string of strong practices and a solid preseason outing to reverse a summer narrative.
Trent Taylor: The team doesn’t share its GPS data, but the guess here is that Taylor’s racked up more mileage than any other 49er this summer. He’s been resilient as a receiver and reliable on punt returns. His obstacle is that Cowing offers a little more pop on both. Getting Taylor to the practice squad seems like a smart move.
Ronnie Bell: There were a series of practices in early August in which Bell seemed to make one high-degree-of-difficulty catch in traffic per session. He hasn’t been able to keep that momentum going in the preseason, however, with drops in each game so far. Still, Bell can play all three receiver spots and has experience as both a returner and gunner. That gives him value.
Danny Gray: Aiyuk’s long absence should have been an opportunity for the talented Gray to secure a spot among the team’s top six receivers. Instead, that spot’s gone to Conley.
Tay Martin: He leads the team in receptions and receiving yards (seven for 75) so far in the preseason. Still, it’s hard to see him ending up any better than on the practice squad this season.
Robbie Chosen: He looks extremely fast and fluid in practice and hauled in a 50-yard deep ball from Purdy on Tuesday. He didn’t play Sunday but likely will in Friday’s finale. Perhaps Chosen, 31, will take the same path Conley did last season: early-season practice squadder and late-season roster addition.
Jontre Kirklin: Kirklin, who was signed Aug. 7, had 614 receiving yards in the UFL in the spring but has yet to make much of a splash with the 49ers. He’s been targeted once in the two preseason games.
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Tight ends
George Kittle: Kittle’s back to his fighting weight after dipping to 214 pounds following offseason core surgery. Last season, Kittle’s targets would fluctuate — he’d have two one week, 11 the next. Based on practices, 2024 might skew more toward the higher totals, especially if Aiyuk needs time to get up to speed.
Eric Saubert: The 49ers need a tight end who blocks and throws his weight around. That’s Saubert, who’s served as the top tight end in practices in which Kittle hasn’t taken part. He’s also started the two preseason games.
Brayden Willis: After Kittle, Willis has been the team’s best receiving tight end and, if he hadn’t stepped out of bounds, would have had a big gain to open Sunday’s game. Willis, however, still must get stronger as a blocker.
Jake Tonges: He’s also been a reliable target in the passing game for all of the camp quarterbacks. The 49ers have been trying to improve his blocking, including at fullback, which he played at times on Sunday. The No. 4 tight end is an interesting spot for the 49ers. Do they keep Tonges, Cameron Latu or use that spot to go deep at another position like receiver or offensive line?
Cameron Latu: Latu is powerfully built and has the potential to be something rare in the modern NFL: an all-around tight end. But drops and missed assignments continue to be issues and you wonder whether the coaching staff can trust him in high-stakes situations.
Mason Pline: The undrafted rookie is too raw to make the 53-man roster. But his 6-6 height and soft hands make him a developmental candidate.
Offensive lineman
Colton McKivitz, T: He’s gotten more work than any offensive lineman this summer, a lot of it against new defensive end Leonard Floyd. McKivitz also got 40 snaps in the second preseason game, about two-thirds of a regular game.
Jaylon Moore, T: He’s been solid in pass protection in practice, especially in the one-on-one drills. Of course, that didn’t translate to Sunday’s game where he gave up three quarterback pressures. The outing didn’t make anyone feel better about Trent Williams’ ongoing contract holdout. (Note: Williams does not appear in this list because he remains on the reserve/did not report list, meaning he is not currently on the 90-man roster.)
The 49ers’ already questionable depth at offensive tackle looks even shakier as Trent Williams’ holdout continues. (Darren Yamashita / USA Today)
Chris Hubbard, T: Hubbard is more comfortable at right tackle, which is why offensive line coach Chris Foerster has most put him on the left side this summer. Hubbard doesn’t have the classic length of an offensive tackle — he’s 6-3 with 31-inch arms — but he’s been effective as blocker.
Brandon Parker, T: Parker is Hubbard’s opposite — he’s 6-8 and is more well-versed on the left side. Foerster, of course, has had Parker play on the right this summer as he searches for a swing tackle. Could both Parker and Hubbard make the roster? They could if Williams’ contract issue isn’t resolved.
Sebastian Gutierrez, T: He played left tackle with the third-string offense against the New Orleans Saints. Gutierrez also can play guard, making him a practice squad possibility.
Isaac Alarcon, T: He’s this season’s International Pathway Player, which allows him to be an extra player on the practice squad the way Alfredo Gutierrez was the last two seasons. Whereas Gutierrez received only a handful of practice and preseason snaps, Alarcon has been a steady part of the rotation this summer and logged 15 snaps at right tackle Sunday.
Aaron Banks, G: Banks is out with a broken pinkie but should be back for the Week 1 outing against the New York Jets. That means one left-side lineman, Williams, hasn’t practiced at all this summer while the player next to him, Banks, won’t have a full run-up to the season either.
Dominick Puni, G: He’s been the feel-good story of camp. Puni’s taken first-team snaps at right guard since late July and looks like he belongs. Puni delivered key blocks on the team’s opening touchdown drive in Tennessee and played well against the Saints, too. He’s emerged as the frontrunner to start in Week 1 against the Jets.
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Spencer Burford, G: Burford broke his hand in the first week of practice but was back in limited fashion — doing individual drills — on Tuesday. Still, it’s hard to see him reclaiming the starting right guard job by Week 1.
Spencer Burford (74) went through individual drills with a bulky pad on his injured right hand Tuesday. He continued his routine of running on a side field when team drills began. pic.twitter.com/YiMVBQeXBC
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) August 20, 2024
Ben Bartch, G/C: He and Nick Zakelj have been competing for the role of top backup at center and guard. Bartch, however, only just returned from a knee issue that kept him out of practice last week.
Jarrett Kingston, G: The arrow is up for the sixth-round pick, who played both left and right guard Sunday and logged more snaps than anyone else, 58. Kingston probably doesn’t figure into the team’s 2024 plans, but with Banks and Jon Feliciano heading for free agency in March, he’s very much in the mix for 2025 and beyond.
Jon Feliciano, G: He’d been earmarked for the starting guard role when training camp began but was slowed by a knee injury that ultimately required surgery. He’ll begin the season on injured reserve but could be a factor late in the year just as he was last season.
Lewis Kidd, G: A late addition to camp, Kidd’s been playing left guard with the third-string unit.
Jake Brendel, C: The 49ers know what they have in Brendel, who’s going into his fifth season in San Francisco. At age 31, he’s gotten the “vet treatment” this summer — regular days off, which has allowed Zakelj and Bartch plenty of center snaps with the first-string group.
Nick Zakelj, C/G: Foerster recently said that Zakelj is probably a little better at center while Bartch is more comfortable at guard. It’s probably a good thing for Zakelj then that Banks’ and Bartch’s recent injuries have given him plenty of opportunities to sharpen his skills at left guard.
Drake Nugent, C: The undrafted rookie has been the third-string center throughout the spring and summer. Nugent’s looked natural in the role, though his lack of length — at 6-1 he’s the team’s shortest offensive lineman — stands out in one-on-one battles with massive defensive linemen like Jordan Elliott.
(Top photo: Cary Edmondson / USA Today)
