The 49ers won their preseason opener, but the game came with a slew of not-so-good performances from players looking to make the roster or earn a starting job.
Here’s a look at six players who need to bounce back in the second preseason game against Denver on Monday night:
QB Nick Mullens
Mullens wasn’t bad in his preseason debut, but his performance was underwhelming for a player battling for the backup quarterback job. He’ll be the third quarterback in Monday night’s game, so he has to put together a strong outing against the back end of Denver’s 90-man roster.
QB CJ Beathard
Beathard had a chance to jump firmly ahead of Mullens in the backup quarterback race, but his lackluster showing kept him about even with his fellow third-year signal caller. He was playing with the 49ers’ third string group though. Monday he’ll get a shot to run with the 49ers’ second unit. He needs a more consistent showing in that game.
FS Adrian Colbert
Colbert can’t really bounce back because he was only in Saturday night’s game against Dallas for seven plays before getting ejected. Getting ejected late in the first preseason game was not the way Colbert needed to start his journey back to the starting lineup. He needs a solid showing in the second week to get back into the conversation as a potential starter in the back end of the secondary.
WR Dante Pettis
It’s not as if Pettis isn’t going to make the roster, but he has to stand out in some way against Denver. Even one big play to show what he’s capable of in a game setting to get himself back on track would be significant. He’s not likely to play a ton of snaps, but getting a couple catches and a nice run after one of them would go a long way toward helping Pettis establish himself as the team’s top pass catcher.
SS Marcell Harris
Harris is a fascinating player because of some of the splash plays he made last season. He’s fearless and athletic in the box, and gets downhill aggressively against the run. That aggressiveness hurts him sometimes though and he looked lost on several plays against Dallas. A more sound showing from Harris in Denver would help his standing on the roster.
The entire offensive line
The 49ers’ offensive front struggled all game against Dallas. Depth was going to be an issue, but Saturday night showed it to be even more dire than expected. An injury to Shon Coleman that will sideline him for the year didn’t help matters. Every player along the front needs to be better in Denver, and the 49ers need to start figuring out who they can trust to play some snaps in the regular season should a starter go down.
