Not everything went right for the 49ers in their 24-15 win Monday night over the Broncos. They struggled early and didn’t score a touchdown in the first half. Their defense also had some ups and downs against a not-so-good Broncos offense.
Here are six players who saw their stock dip Monday night.
QB Jimmy Garoppolo
It was a disastrous debut for Garoppolo, who finished his three series 1-for-6 for zero yards and an interception. His quarterback rating was an alarming 0.0. The good news is it was just his first game back off a torn ACL, and head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t do him any favors on the play calls. Still, the 49ers certainly wanted to see more out of their franchise quarterback, and he looked abysmal Monday night.
WR Dante Pettis
Pettis has now earned two targets in two preseason games. Both throws have been tipped by the defense and he remains without a catch. That won’t matter come Week 1 of the regular season, but Pettis is supposed to be the top receiver in San Francisco. That should come with at least a few targets and a couple catches in exhibition play. Pettis is undeniably talented, but his stock as the team’s top pass catcher isn’t climbing.
DB DJ Reed
There were too many plays were Reed got beat, including one long throw to Emmanuel Sanders that was nullified by an offensive holding call. Reed is probably safe because of his versatility, but there are starting jobs up for grabs and he’s not performing at a high enough level to stake a claim to one of them. If K’Waun Williams’ injury carries into the regular season, Reed is still probably first in line for the start, but the confidence level in him probably dipped a touch.
RB Austin Walter
Walter had a nice preseason opener, but the undrafted rookie was non-existent until late in Monday’s game. He wound up notching only six carries for 22 yards, while Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert went for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Walter still has a shot at the practice squad, but his future is less exciting after Week 2 of the preseason.
OL Najee Toran
A start was a gift for Toran and he didn’t play particularly well. He was flagged for a penalty, and failed to engage a defensive lineman long enough on Garoppolo’s first throw and it was batted down at the line of scrimmage. Toran wasn’t going to snag a starting job, but he had a chance to put a firm grip around a top reserve gig. He didn’t pass that test.
QB Wilton Speight
There was zero chance Speight was going to make the active roster, but he had a chance to elevate his standing some Monday night. His lone pass attempt slipped out of his hand early and was recovered by Denver. It’s difficult to imagine the undrafted free agent makes a Nick Mullens-like turnaround.
