The 49ers have had a fascinating first few weeks in training camp and are now gearing up for their first preseason competition on Friday against the Green Bay Packers.
We’ve learned a lot about the San Francisco roster, with some key players shining as we thought and others having a disappointing first two weeks.
Here’s a look at some of the team’s rising and falling stocks ahead of the preseason opener:
Topping up: WR Brandon Aiyuk
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Good luck finding a practice where Aiyuk hasn’t excelled. He was expected to make a leap this year, but his performance in training camp suggests he could be on course for a major breakout campaign. Free safety Jimmie Ward said Aiyuk had the best stock of any 49er not named Nick Bosa. That’s kudos from the veteran. It’s hard not to feel great about where Aiyuk is headed in 2022.
Stock down: QB Trey Lance
(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Lance’s struggles against the 49ers’ very strong defense are well documented. It doesn’t matter what unofficial reporter’s camp stats are on the table, the first starter wasn’t great. However, this is not entirely unexpected. He’s having some growing pains to deal with and he’s clearly working his way through some of them in practice. There are worse places to learn the nuances of the QB game in the NFL. Lance should be fine, even if his exercises weren’t perfect.
Stock up: RG Spencer Burford
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Burford was a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. It seemed like the 49ers would be in trouble if Burford eventually started, but he has proven to be perhaps one of their top five offensive linemen. He got the first-team representatives to start camp and he hasn’t given up his place. Burford’s athleticism has always been evident and he holds his own in one-on-one pass rush drills. RG doesn’t even have a real competition at the moment. This will be a pretty big win for the 49ers as they iron out their offensive line.
Stock down: OL Jake Brendel
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Brendel went into camp as the leader and started in the middle. He immediately got into a fight with Daniel Brunskill and it seems Brunskill is at least winning and may have passed him. There is still some time left for Brendel to prove himself, but the fact that he fought so hard for the goal may not bode well for his chances of eventually landing the starting job. However, the 49ers don’t seem inclined to add another player down the middle, so it’ll come down to either Brendel or Brunskill.
Top up: The runner-up
(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Roses all around! The 49ers’ secondary school has shone throughout training camp, thanks in large part to the addition of veteran cornerback Charvarius Ward this offseason. Along with CB Emmanuel Moseley, free safety Jimmie Ward, and strong safety Talanoa Hufanga and Tarvarius Moore, Ward have all played well enough to make the 49ers’ defensive backfield look as good as it did in the Kyle Shanahan era. Perhaps the regular season has some flaws that the 49ers offense currently lacks, but this unit seems poised for a big year.
Stockdown: CB Ambry Thomas
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
There was an expectation that Thomas could be pushing for a starting role as either an outside corner or a sub-pack CB. Now he’s seeing his replays with the first team taken over by fellow CB second-year man Deommodore Lenoir and there’s no sign Thomas will be pushing to be the third corner. That could change in the month leading up to the regular season, but for now it looks like Thomas’ role this year could be very limited.
Stock up: Jason Poe
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Poe quietly has a very nice camp. He doesn’t get first-team representatives or anything, but his performances in one-on-ones have impressed reporters on the ground. The undersized inside offense lineman was undrafted by Mercer and has spent his entire football career overcoming adversity. Game action, as always, will be a big indicator of exactly where Poe is in his development. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Poe doesn’t at least add a practice team, and there’s a real way for him to claim a roster spot if he continues to do well.