The 49ers open their preseason at home Saturday against the Cowboys. The result of the game couldn’t matter less to their success this season, but there’s still plenty to watch for when it comes to their roster construction for the 2019 season.
Here are six things to keep a close eye on throughout Saturday’s game:
Quarterback battle
The Nick Mullens vs. CJ Beathard competition began last year when Mullens racked up 2,277 passing yards in eight games. Neither player has distinguished himself in training camp, so the winner of the No. 2 quarterback job may be whoever plays better in preseason games. Who starts won’t be as much of an issue as who produces at a higher level.
Wide receiver snaps
We won’t get a ton of insight into the 49ers’ receiver battle based on the first preseason game, but the players who only play minimal snaps may give an idea of who sits higher on the depth chart. This will be worth tracking throughout the preseason. Their performances and the battle for jobs at the back end of the roster should be intriguing as well.
Reserve offensive linemen
The 49ers’ starting offensive line is pretty much set. They return that entire group from last season, but the players behind them on the depth chart are much less certain. Nobody has asserted themselves at any of the reserve spots, so the second unit in the first preseason game should be a good sign of the hierarchy at the position. It’ll also be worth watching who plays well out of the second and third units.
Safety rotations
The 49ers secondary is the biggest question mark on the roster going into Week 1 of the preseason. It’ll likely be a question mark going into the regular season too. However, the first game should give a good look into the depth chart and who has the inside edge for a starting job after the first week of the preseason. How those players play will be important as well given the uncertainty of the talent.
Wide 9 defensive line
There won’t be any game planning by the 49ers, so the defense won’t be doing anything exotic to stop the opposing offense. That means the defensive line in their new Wide 9 alignment will be front and center. It’s a new look, so how that impacts the pass rush and the run defense in a mano-a-mano game with no game planning should be intriguing.
Rookie contributions
There should be plenty of rookies getting touches in the first game. Dre Greenlaw will be at linebacker. Jalen Hurd and Deebo Samuel should get plenty of snaps at receiver. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky will debut as well. Those are all going to be key players for San Francisco this year, and this is their first taste of NFL action. Look for undrafted rookie linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and running back Austin Walter to stand out as well.
