The 49ers’ defense put on a show in their pair of joint practices with the Broncos prior to their second preseason game. This comes on the heels of a preseason opener where the 49ers’ second unit held the Cowboys starters out of the end zone, and limited them to field goals in a 17-9 victory.
Now the defense gets some starters back as the team begins intensive preparations for the regular season. They need a significant turnaround on that side of the ball, so plenty of eyes will be watching to see if they can remain consistent in their quality preseason performances.
Here are six players to watch when the 49ers defense is on the field Monday night:
S Tarvarius Moore
Moore’s move to safety in the spring was intriguing. That was before he began stringing together enough quality reps to earn the first-team snaps in practice. He also got the start at free safety against Dallas. San Francisco didn’t invest much in their secondary this offseason, so finding a capable safety already on the roster would be a huge win for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. Moore has a chance to grip the starting job a little tighter with a good showing in Denver.
LB Dre Greenlaw
The 2019 fifth-round pick can help cement a starting Sam linebacker job with another good performance against the Broncos. Greenlaw was all over the field in the opener against Dallas, and repeating that showing would be a nice win for the rookie.
DL Solomon Thomas
Thomas didn’t play in the opener against Dallas, but in a huge year for his career, he has to put together a good outing in his first preseason contest. The former No. 3 overall pick doesn’t need to have a monster game, but a splash play or two in limited snaps would be a good omen for a bounce-back year.
S Adrian Colbert
An ejection late against the Cowboys limited Colbert to only seven snaps. He’s still vying for a starting job, so when he gets in and how much he plays will be worth watching. Colbert, a 2017 seventh-round pick, is talented enough to succeed in the NFL. He just needs to start stacking up quality reps, especially in these preseason games.
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
It looks like Witherspoon has a starting job locked up, especially with Jason Verrett out with an injury. A shutdown performance from Witherspoon against an offense that struggled in practice would be a good jumping off point for the third-year corner. He may go into the season with the starting job, but it’s not a definite he’ll finish with it if his production is lackluster.
DL Jeremiah Valoaga
Valoaga isn’t going to make the team because the 49ers have a ton invested in their offensive line depth, and he was a very late free agent addition to the roster. However, he had two sacks and three quarterback hits against Dallas. Another big-time performance like that might put him on the map for the 49ers’ coaching staff.
