The 49ers maintained a lot of roster continuity during the 2020 offseason. That resulted in relatively minimal turnover in the starting lineups, which could make the decisions come roster cut-downs easier than normal.
However, there are a few players that could break through in 2020 and find spots on the roster after not being with the team or serving on the practice squad last season.
Here are four members of the 49ers’ 90-man roster who’re flying under the radar heading into training camp:
WR Travis Benjamin
Benjamin was the 49ers’ lone free agent signing at receiver this offseason after letting Emmanuel Sanders walk in free agency. While the team will lean heavily on some of their existing talent and former draft picks, Benjamin offers a veteran presence that doesn’t necessarily exist elsewhere in the receiving corps. He also has experience in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. That could be valuable in a truncated offseason. With the departure of Marquise Goodwin in a trade on Day 3 of the draft, Benjamin’s speed and field-stretching ability may be a necessity that lands him a roster spot over some of the other, younger players vying for jobs.
RB Jamycal Hasty
The 49ers’ backfield is crowded, and it would conceivably be pretty easy to get an undrafted rookie running back onto the practice squad. However, Hasty’s decisive, hard-nosed running style could be a good fit in Shanahan’s offense. With Tevin Coleman coming off an up-and-down year, Jerick McKinnon’s injury uncertainty, and Jeff Wilson Jr.’s relatively limited role, Hasty has a real shot to make the team if he impresses in the preseason and proves to be a valuable asset as a runner and pass catcher.
WR Chris Finke
If everybody is healthy, Finke’s ceiling in 2020 is a practice squad spot. He’s way down the depth chart and likely limited to a role out of the slot. With Trent Taylor, Richie James Jr., Dante Pettis and Kendrick Bourne among the players who can play in the slot, Finke will need a small miracle to make the team. However, he can return punts and have success over the middle of the field from the slot. An injury or two in camp could give Finke some additional reps that catapult him to an unlikely roster spot.
TE Daniel Helm
The 49ers’ only used a sixth-round pick and signed an undrafted free agent to add to a tight end group that needed some additional depth. That sixth-round selection Charlier Woerner, along with Ross Dwelley will have the inside tracks to roster spots. Expanded game-day rosters could afford the 49ers a chance to include an additional tight end. Helm, a second-year undrafted free agent out of Duke, is a decent athlete who can also spend some time at fullback if Kyle Juszczyk is unavailable again. Undrafted rookie Chase Harrell could be a factor too, but Helm’s familiarity with the 49ers after spending most of last season on the practice squad will give him an edge in that battle.
