Buying or Selling 49ers' Top Offseason Performances Ahead of Training Camp
The quarterback position has been the talk of the San Francisco 49ers offseason.
As Brock Purdy healed from his elbow injury, Sam Darnold and Trey Lance received chances to take snaps in offseason workouts.
Darnold's free-agent signing seemed peculiar when it happened because the 49ers already had Lance in place as the backup.
The move may have been made because the 49ers believe Darnold is a better option than Lance, whose name was floated on the trade market during the offseason.
The quarterback depth chart will have more of a spotlight on it as training camp gets going, but that is not the only spot on the field 49ers fans should watch.
Close attention will be paid to Colton McKivitz as he takes over the starting right tackle spot. A few defensive rookies will be watched as well as the NFC West side looks to fill out its depth.
Sell: Trey Lance
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Lance's stock plummeted this offseason with the signing of Darnold and the lack of interest on the trade market.
ESPN's Adam Schefter broke down the situation on The Pat McAfee Show in June.
"There was no trade market for Trey Lance and the 49ers didn't have any trade talks with teams," Schefter said. "Brock Purdy if he's healthy is the number one and my guess going into camp is that Sam Darnold has the edge to be number two."
As the 49ers entered camp on Tuesday, the 49ers brass confirmed Purdy is ready to go, per NFL Network.
Darnold and Lance will continue their battle for the backup job throughout training camp, but right now Lance does not have the upper hand.
Lance has dealt with injuries and a lack of playing time behind other quarterbacks in his short NFL career, and Darnold's appearance on the roster is another barrier to him earning significant playing time.
Buy: Colton McKivitz
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McKivitz's take over of the starting right tackle spot is the biggest non-quarterback story involving the 49ers offense.
McKivitz will take over for Mike McGlinchey, who departed in free agency and was a huge part of San Francisco's success in the rushing game.
ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner pointed out McKivitz's success in some situations as a reason to believe he could thrive in the job.
"McKivitz only has five starts in three NFL seasons but has fared well in high-pressure situations. Still, if San Francisco's offense is going to be the dominant unit their skill position players suggest it might, the line will have to hold up. And that starts with McKivitz," Wagoner wrote.
McKivitz owns the advantage of playing in the Kyle Shanahan system for a few years, so that should help with the learning curve of being a starter compared to if a free agent was brought in from elsewhere.
McKivitz may not be an All-Pro from Week 1, but he can be a solid replacement for McGlinchey who keeps the consistency in the ground game.
Buy: Ji'Ayir Brown
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Third-round pick Ji'Ayir Brown made a quick impression on starting safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Hufanga claimed Brown is "on point with his stuff" when talking about his interceptions in camp, per 49ers team reporter Lindsey Pallares.
Brown can reinforce the depth behind Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson at safety. His on-the-ball skills will be needed within the division against the Seattle Seahawks, who added Jaxon Smith-Njigba to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Brown could play an important role in September since the 49ers have a pair of NFC West clashes with the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams and Cardinals do not have the deepest wide receiver rooms, but those matchups could give Brown some important on-field experience so that he can be ready for showdowns with the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle later in the season.
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