San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players Whose Stock Is on the Rise After OTAs
With the San Francisco 49ers having endured an offseason of upheaval including changes to the coaching staff and roster, building chemistry will be the main priority at OTAs. However, a number of players will also be keen to make an impression and push for more playing time by boosting their stock with strong performances.
Given the departures that have hit the Niners on both sides of the ball, there should be a lot of opportunities for talented second-stringers to make the jump and become key figures on San Francisco's roster.
Additionally, following the Niners' disappointing 2014 campaign that saw them finish 8-8, there are also sure to be experienced members of the roster aiming to prove they are ready to help the team rebound by catching the eye of the coaching staff in these first practices.
There have already been a number of players who have made a case for a significant role in 2015 with impressive showings in the early stages of the 49ers' preparations for the upcoming campaign. Here I look at five players who have already boosted their standing during OTAs.
Quinton Patton
1 of 5
Now that Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson have both moved on and the 49ers chose not to bring back Brandon Lloyd, wide receiver Quinton Patton has a chance to become a bigger part of their offense, despite the additions of Torrey Smith, Jerome Simpson and DeAndre Smelter.
Patton displayed flashes of great talent in the limited opportunities he received during an injury-affected rookie season in 2013. He was never really allowed to progress last year, however, as he spent most of his time on the sideline as an inactive member of the roster.
The arrivals of Smith, Simpson and Smelter lend credence to the argument that Patton's roster spot could be under threat in 2015, but the former Louisiana Tech wideout seems to have other ideas.
Patton hauled in a 50-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick on Thursday and was generally impressive in a session open to the media, according to CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco.
Bruce Ellington moved above Patton on the depth chart last year, but the 2013 fourth-round pick—who spent the offseason training with Kaepernick in Arizona—appears confident he can become a contributor in 2015.
When asked about the prospect of cementing the third wide receiver spot, Patton said, "I'm coming," according to Maiocco. And if he can build on these signs of promise in OTAs, the 49ers' hopes of having a successful offense in 2015 will be significantly bolstered.
Keith Reaser
2 of 5
Keith Reaser didn't play a down in his rookie season due to ACL concerns. However, if the early reports from OTAs are correct, the former Florida Atlantic cornerback could see plenty of action in the coming campaign.
Reaser has a terrific blend of size and speed and claimed to have ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds prior to his injury. At 6'0" and 190 pounds, his pace could be valuable to a 49ers team that lost both Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox in the offseason.
And according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Reaser has been eye-catching so far in OTAs, playing on both the outside and in the nickel spot. More importantly, Barrows writes that Reaser looks to have retained his speed coming off the injury.
The second-year player has a lot of other corners to beat out to make the final 53-man roster. However, his combination of physical tools makes him a good bet to do so, should he be able to maintain his current good form throughout training camp and the preseason.
San Francisco has long lacked a corner with the ability to keep up with the fastest receivers in the league. Time will tell if Reaser can be the answer to that problem.
Jarryd Hayne
3 of 5
The 49ers know Jarryd Hayne may have a long way to go before he can make an impact in the NFL following his switch from playing rugby league in Australia, yet the would-be running back and return man seems to be performing well in one aspect of the game.
Maiocco stated that Hayne was "ultra-smooth" when catching passes out of the backfield during OTAs and also fielded punts along with free-agent acquisition Reggie Bush.
The fact that Hayne appears to be having no problems with ball-handling is no surprise, given his experience as a full-back in rugby, a position that sees players field a lot of kicks and work with the ball in their hands in heavy traffic. The real challenge for Hayne will be learning the playbook and the blocking techniques employed in the NFL.
There can be little doubt Hayne has the athleticism to succeed in pro football, the big question is whether he can overcome the steep learning curve on the mental side of the game. But for now, any positive news should be seen as a step forward for Hayne as he transitions to a new sport.
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Dres Anderson
4 of 5
An MCL tear kept Utah wide receiver Dres Anderson from being drafted, which could prove to be a stroke of great luck for the 49ers offense.
Anderson was touted by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein as a fifth- or sixth-round pick, even with the injury he suffered back in October, and per 49ers.com, has been taking part in OTAs without a knee brace.
The son of former St. Louis Rams wideout Flipper Anderson insists that his knee is fully recovered and he is focused on staking his claim for a place on San Francisco's active roster for the new season. And it would be no surprise to see him do so after a fine four-year spell at Utah in which he recorded over 2,000 receiving yards and scored 17 touchdowns.
A healthy Anderson would provide the rest of the 49ers receiving corps with competition at the lower end of the depth chart due to his speed and shiftiness in space, which seemed to be underrated by many experts during the predraft process.
Greater competition at wideout is good news for a Niners passing attack that struggled mightily last season, and although it is far from guaranteed Anderson will make the team, the revelation that he is back to full fitness from his knee injury should substantially bolster his prospects of landing on an NFL roster come Week 1.
Vernon Davis
5 of 5
If there is one player under pressure to perform for the 49ers in 2015, it is tight end Vernon Davis.
Davis' stock could hardly be lower at the moment following a dismal 2014 campaign in which he was hampered by injuries and appeared to lose the explosion that had previously made him such a dynamic threat in the passing attack.
Indeed, Davis caught just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last season, but he appears ready to make a much bigger impact in 2015.
Per 49ers.com, Davis has been looking like his old self so far in OTAs.
"Kaepernick's very first completion on the day was a 25-yard side-armed laser to Davis, who got open down the left sideline on a deep crossing route. Davis caught the accurate pass with out-stretched arms and was still able to get his feet down inbounds. Davis later caught a pair of red-zone touchdown passes from Kaepernick. The first was in a 7-on-7 period. Davis got open down the left seam for another high-point grab. His second touchdown reception came on an improv play during a red-zone team period. Kaepernick rolled to his right and saw Davis wide open in the end zone. Kaepernick quickly launched the ball across his body for a 20-yard rope towards the middle of the field.
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Of course, at this point, it is tough to determine whether Davis will be able to recapture his best form on the field based on a few positive reports from OTAs. And with Davis now 31 and in the last year of his contract, this could be his last hurrah for the 49ers, who invested in the tight end position in the draft by taking Blake Bell and Rory Anderson.
But for the short term, a rejuvenated player of Davis' athletic ability would be a huge boost to a 49ers offense in need of a big bounce-back year in order for the team to challenge in the NFC West.
Nicholas McGee is a San Francisco 49ers featured columnist based in Leeds, England. Follow him on Twitter @nicholasmcgee24.
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