Preseason games don’t generally matter for starters. Players locked into the 53-man roster may move up or down the depth chart based on their showing in exhibition games, but those contests are most important for players fighting for their NFL jobs. San Francisco’s preseason begins Saturday at home against the Cowboys.
While the focus is on the 53-man roster, the 10-man practice squad will also take shape over the course of the preseason slate. The 49ers dipped into their practice squad frequently last year, so there’ll be some added focus on that group as it comes together.
Here are some names to keep an eye on throughout the preseason who could wind up on the practice squad after final cuts:
WR Shawn Poindexter
Poindexter is an undrafted free agent out of Arizona who’s still refining his skills as a receiver. He played volleyball in junior college before transferring to play for the Wildcats. His development in college was swift with 42 catches for 759 yards and 11 touchdowns in his third year. His 6-5, 218-pound frame and athleticism make him worth keeping around if he can produce at all in the preseason.
TE Kaden Smith
The 2019 sixth-round pick was the third tight end on our last 53-man roster projection. If Smith doesn’t find his way onto the final roster, he should clear waivers and get to the practice squad. He’s not a great athlete, but his size make him a capable blocker and an intriguing red zone target if he develops.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
A devastating knee injury that tore his ACL and MCL limited Al-Shaair to six games in his final college season and probably dropped his draft stock far enough that the 49ers were able to sign him as an undrafted free agent. He was a tackling machine at FAU though with 146 in his last full season. Al-Shaair posted 395 tackles in 43 games. He won’t crack the 53-man, but he has a ton of potential value as a reserve and special teams player.
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
A calf injury has severely limited Wilson in camp. He was already on the outside looking in at a crowded backfield, but he was good enough in his limited action last year to stick around if he clears waivers. Wilson averaged 4.0 yards per carry on 66 attempts in four games a season ago.
QB Wilton Speight
The 49ers will need a quarterback to run their scout team. Speight should be able to do that assuming they can get him to the practice squad. He had an up-and-down college career. He played three years at Michigan and one at UCLA. He finished with an unspectacular 59.4 percent completion rate with 28 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
OL Daniel Brunskill
Brunskill was one of the players San Francisco signed after the Alliance of American Football folded. He’s a converted tight end who thrived at that position in college at San Diego State. While he’s still refining his skills as a tackle, his athleticism makes him a very interesting player for the 49ers’ shallow offensive line. A year on the practice squad should do him good.
TE Daniel Helm
The 49ers added the former Duke tight end after he was waived by the Chargers. Los Angeles signed him this year as an undrafted free agent. He’s athletic enough to possibly get time on the practice squad to develop into an option for the 53-man roster next year.
WR Malik Henry
Henry is extremely shifty and has shown a ton of athleticism in camp. There’s some necessary refinement that’ll need to come before he makes an NFL roster, but the 49ers should try and keep him around to see if he can turn into a legitimate pass-catching threat.
DB Tyree Robinson
The former Cowboys safety joined the 49ers late last season. He had a nice college career with Oregon where he posted 201 tackles, six interceptions and 17 pass breakups. The 49ers don’t have any sure answers at safety, so keeping a player like Robinson on the practice squad would be wise. The bigger issue will be whether he clears waivers and opens the door to land on San Francisco’s practice squad.
CB Tim Harris
The sixth-round pick is on our last 53-man roster, but he should find his way to the practice squad if he doesn’t earn a roster spot. The 49ers are crowded at cornerback, but the back end of the roster is unproven. Harris has NFL size, he just needs to stay healthy and prove he has the skill set to compete in the pros. A year of development on the practice squad may allow him to contend for a role in the secondary next season.
OG Ross Reynolds
Reynolds is a very interesting undrafted free agent who plays along the interior of the offensive line. The 49ers don’t have a ton of depth on the inside and Reynolds may land on the roster because of it. He has enough skill to warrant a longer look on the practice squad.
RB Austin Walter
Kyle Shanahan and running backs coach Bobby Turner are excellent at identifying running back talent, so they may want to keep Walter to see what he has to offer. If they saw enough of Wilson last year and decide Walter is worth a look instead, they could easily keep the Rice product who rushed for 1,744 yards and 13 touchdowns on 345 attempts in four years.
