Predicting the Winners of the San Francisco 49ers' Biggest Training-Camp Battles

Here's prediction No. 1: Jerome Simpson will win the San Francisco 49ers' No. 3 wide receiver competition during training camp.

Simpson, 29, didn’t play last season: The Minnesota Vikings cut him before he finished serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Simpson remained unsigned until the Niners acquired him this offseason.

If Simpson doesn’t win the No. 3 wide receiver competition, he probably won’t make the final roster. He doesn’t play special teams, so as the No. 4 or No. 5 receiver, he’d probably rot on the bench.

But Simpson is underrated. In 2013, he caught 48 passes and averaged 15.1 yards per catch. That same season, 49ers current No. 2 receiver Torrey Smith caught 49 passes and averaged 15.7 yards per catch for the Baltimore Ravens.

Simpson should be a key contributor to the 49ers offense next season.

Here are five more predictions as to which players will win the 49ers’ biggest training-camp battles of 2015.

Backup Quarterback

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Marc Sessler of NFL.com recently ranked Blaine Gabbert the worst backup quarterback in the league.

“We know what he is after 27 NFL starts: a low-ceiling backup who needs to prove us wrong on the field,” Sessler wrote.

Gabbert is competing for a roster spot with undrafted rookie quarterback Dylan Thompson, who was a backup for three years at the University of South Carolina. Thompson started only 16 games in college.

If Thompson plays lights out during the preseason and establishes himself as a high-ceiling NFL backup, the Niners probably will keep him instead of Gabbert.

But even if Thompson dominates during the preseason, he’ll be playing in the third and fourth quarters, meaning he’ll be playing against players who won’t make teams’ final rosters. His preseason performance may not mean much to the Niners.

Projected Winner: Blaine Gabbert

4th-String Running Back

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The 49ers have two high-profile athletes competing for the final spot on the running back depth chart: 2015 fourth-round pick Mike Davis and 2014 Rugby League Player of the Year Jarryd Hayne.

Hayne is probably the better athlete. Both he and Davis run roughly 4.53-second 40-yard dashes, but Hayne is 6’2” and 220 pounds, while Davis is only 5’9” and 206 pounds.

Hayne is one of the best athletes in the world. And he’s 27, so he’s entering his prime. But he has never played football in his life. He has to develop the instincts Davis already has ingrained in his brain.

Developing those instincts takes time, even for one of the best athletes in the world.

Projected Winner: Mike Davis

No. 2 Tight End

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For the past two seasons, the Niners’ No. 2 tight end was 2013 second-round pick Vance McDonald. In two seasons, he has caught 10 passes, dropped four passes and fumbled once, according to Pro Football Focus.

Until further notice, McDonald is a bust.

This is probably why the 49ers spent a fourth-round pick this year on a tight end—Blake Bell from the University of Oklahoma.

Watching them practice this offseason, it was easy to see that Bell is a more natural receiver. Bell earned the trust of the Niners quarterbacks almost immediately, quickly becoming one of their favorite targets—something McDonald hasn’t been able to achieve in two years with the team.

If Bell plays as well during training camp as he did during OTAs and minicamp, he'll win the No. 2 tight end competition going away.

Projected Winner: Blake Bell

No. 2 Cornerback

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Shareece Wright, the 49ers’ projected No. 2 cornerback, missed all of OTAs and minicamp because of an undisclosed injury.

Second-year cornerback Keith Reaser made the most of Wright’s absence, taking reps at cornerback with the first-team defense and shutting down practically every wide receiver he faced, including three-time Pro Bowler Anquan Boldin.

The coaches probably won’t overreact to Reaser’s performance in May and June. When training camp begins, Wright will probably be the No. 2 cornerback if he’s healthy.

But he’s nothing special, intercepting just two passes since high school. If Reaser continues to play like a shutdown corner during training camp and the preseason, Wright will have to find a seat on the bench.

Projected Winner: Keith Reaser

Starting Right Guard

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Two of the 49ers’ three third-round picks from 2014—Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas—are competing to be San Francisco's starting right guard in 2015.

Thomas spent his rookie season on the injured reserve list, rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered at a predraft workout with the New Orleans Saints. If he hadn’t torn his ACL, he might have been drafted in the second round as opposed to the third.

Martin started eight games at center in 2014 and played terribly. Pro Football Focus gave him a minus-17.1 grade. Thomas is probably the more talented player. But Thomas is coming off a serious knee injury and has no experience in the NFL.

He’s a “redshirt” rookie.

Martin’s experience should give him the edge in this competition. If he plays poorly to start the regular season, though, Thomas should get his shot.

Projected Winner: Marcus Martin

All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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