The 49ers put together a slew of very good performances Saturday night in Kansas City. There were some players who saw their stock dip though despite San Francisco’s victory.
Here are five players who saw their stock go down as final cut day draws nearer.
QB CJ Beathard
Beathard didn’t play Saturday which is why his stock went down. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he plans to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, but Mullens appears to be the clear leader for the QB2 job. Beathard should get plenty of action against the Chargers in the preseason finale, but his absence in the final dress rehearsal of the preseason was noticeable.
OL Najee Toran
Toran got the start at right guard last week and didn’t do a great job. He wasn’t the first player off the bench behind starter Mike Person, and when he did get in the game at left guard, his poor blocking on a third-down play opened the door for an easy sack of Nick Mullens. Toran did have a nice block on a Jeff Wilson touchdown run late in the game. He’s still fighting for a roster spot, but his last couple games haven’t been his best.
DL Solomon Thomas
Part of the reason Thomas’ stock dipped is because of how high it was after a strong showing in Denver. The former No. 3 overall pick didn’t come up with any huge plays, and he got beat badly while covering a running back on the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the game. That’s not necessarily Thomas’ fault, but when it was his most noteworthy play of the game, that’s going to drop his stock some.
TE Ross Dwelley
A saving grace for Dwelley was the absence of production from any of the other tight ends. He also pulled in two catches for 30 yards. While he remains the favorite for the second tight end job, Dwelley had two drops, including one on a third down. He’s had a good enough preseason to still get a spot on the 53-man roster, but Saturday night didn’t do his stock any favors.
RB Austin Walter
Walter was a prime practice squad candidate after the first preseason game, but his stock has slowly dipped since with the return of Jeff Wilson Jr. Wilson had two touchdowns Saturday night. Walter was relegated to five carries. He picked up 19 yards in those attempts. The undrafted rookie might wind up making the practice squad, but Wilson is the favorite there if he clears waivers.
