3 San Francisco 49ers Who Will Steal Starting Spots with Strong Training Camp

In every training camp, there is always likely to be a player who surprises and fights for a starting spot, and on a team as deep as the San Francisco 49ers, there are multiple candidates who have chances of doing so.

With 12 draft picks joining the 49ers in the offseason, competition for places always looked set to be intense.

Unsurprisingly, that has already proven to be the case, with a number of players producing standout performances to make their cases for important roles on the team.

But which of those unheralded contributors have the best shots of usurping the incumbent starters at their positions and making the jobs their own?

Here I pick three under-the-radar players who will surprise and take the starting jobs with impressive performances in camp.

Quinton Dial

Following a fine 2013 season, Glenn Dorsey was undoubtedly the favourite to start at nose tackle this season.

But the former Kansas City Chief's campaign unfortunately looks to have ended before it even had the chance to begin, as he sustained a torn bicep 10 days ago.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported that Dorsey is likely done for the year (h/t Chris Wesseling of NFL.com), leaving the battle for playing time at the forefront of the defensive line wide open.

Ian Williams—who beat out Dorsey for the starting role in 2013 only to suffer a season-ending ankle injury in Seattle during Week 2—projects as the prospective front-runner.

However, Williams was only activated from the PUP list on Tuesday after recovering from that same ankle problem.

Williams' prolonged rehabilitation has allowed Dial to step in and take snaps at nose tackle, and the 2013 fifth-round pick has already made a positive impression.

After playing just three games in a rookie season hampered by a toe injury, Dial has caught the eye in camp for "tossing around offensive linemen" and penetrating the backfield, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Dial was always likely to face stiff competition at the nose-tackle spot, with Tony Jerod-Eddie—who backed up Dorsey in 2013—Demarcus Dobbs and Mike Purcell all gunning to earn significant playing time at the position.

Purcell—per David Fucillo of SB Nation—has impressed defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. However, Dial markedly boosted his prospects with a stunning performance in the 49ers' preseason opener at the Baltimore Ravens last Thursday.

In a disappointing 23-3 defeat, Dial was a rare bright spot, playing 56 of 80 defensive snaps—per Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—and using his size and power to total 10 tackles and force two fumbles.

His display was even more impressive considering that San Francisco's defensive line was bullied for most of the game by the Ravens.

Fangio has stated that Dial will need to improve his pad level and scheme recognition in order to have a shot of becoming the starting nose tackle, yet there is much to like about the sophomore, who, at 6'5" and 318 pounds, has declared himself ready for the physical challenge of taking on double-teams from offensive linemen, per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.

He may still have some improvements to make in his game, but after his play versus Baltimore, it will take a big effort from Williams and the other contenders to prevent Dial from lining up as the starting nose tackle come Week 1.

Marcus Martin

Alex Boone's continued holdout has placed the offensive line—undoubtedly one the main areas of strength for San Francisco—under a great deal of scrutiny.

Boone has established himself as a key player in the trenches for the 49ers and is seeking to improve his current deal by refusing to show up at any of the team's preseason activities to this point.

The problem is that the 49ers only appear willing to discuss new terms with players who report to practices, as they did with left tackle Joe Staley, who received an extension until 2019 last month.

Negotiations between the two appear to be at an impasse, with multiple rival teams now set to show interest in trading for the San Fran's starting right guard, according to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson.

The stalemate is not surprising, with the 49ers—due to their diligence in drafting players at the position in recent years—possessing good depth up front.

San Francisco also may not hold as much value in Boone as they do in Staley, given that he was only ranked at No. 39 among all guards in the NFL last season by PFF.

If the situation with Boone is not resolved, which at this juncture seems the most likely outcome, then the 49ers will need to find a replacement that can fit in seamlessly and perform in both pass protection and run blocking.

Adam Snyder and Joe Looney are the leading candidates; however, both have endured early setbacks during the preseason.

The experienced and versatile Snyder can operate at any position on the line but sustained a left-knee injury in Sunday's practice with the Ravens after getting tangled in a pile, although—per Branch—the blow does not appear to be serious.

Meanwhile, Looney—a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2012—disappointed against the Ravens.

Looney impressed in the first regular-season action of his career in 2013, playing three offensive snaps against the Washington Redskins before featuring on 62 versus the St. Louis Rams and a further six in a clash with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In his meeting with St. Louis, Looney did not allow a sack, a quarterback hit or hurry, according to PFF (subscription required), but received a negative-0.7 grade from them for a noticeably below-par performance in Baltimore.

Harbaugh conceded that Looney "got high on a few plays," according to Andrew Pentis of 49ers.com, and the third-year player will hope for an improved showing this coming Sunday when the 'Niners play host to the Denver Broncos.

Both Snyder and Looney have the benefit of experience on their side, yet they will each need to be wary of the young wild card in the prospective competition for Boone's spot, rookie third-round pick Marcus Martin.

Regarded as arguably the top center in the draft, Martin was brought in to compete with Daniel Kilgore for the position at the head of the line.

Martin reported to camp carrying an ankle injury, though, missing time and allowing Kilgore to gain the advantage in the battle for the starting job.

But, although he may lose that position fight, Martin still has a strong chance of starting Week 1 of the regular season with his ability to operate more than sufficiently as a guard, having played there extensively in his time at USC.

At 6'3" and 320 pounds, Martin has the frame to dominate opposing linemen and seal off defenders, and he backs that up with the athleticism to allow him to get to the second level.

Having only taken part in his first full practice of the offseason three days ago, per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, Martin has some catching up to do if he is to displace Looney as the primary reserve for Boone.

Still, despite the slow start to his NFL career, few would argue that Martin has a bigger upside than Snyder or Looney, and he should have ample opportunity to prove his worth against the Broncos.

To put it simply: Martin deserved to go much earlier than the third round, and provided that Boone's exile continues as expected, he will waste no time demonstrating that and making the right-guard spot his own.

Bruce Ellington

Kick returner may not necessarily be considered a starting spot by all NFL observers, but there can be no doubt that having a dangerous return man can play a key role in a team's fortunes and hopes of making of a deep playoff run.

San Francisco has been able to prosper over the last three seasons without the presence of a truly explosive returner, although running back LaMichael James did solidify the spot somewhat with his play in the second half of the 2013 campaign.

Heading into training camp, James was considered by most to be a lock to continue as the starting return man in 2014.

But the dislocated elbow James suffered on July 27, per Rapoport (h/t Mike Coppinger of NFL.com), has left the door open for somebody else to take the role.

James is expected to be back healthy before the start of the regular season, yet his absence has afforded rookie wide receiver Bruce Ellington the chance to stake an early claim to the job of return man.

Pro Football Focus

And Ellington did his chances little harm in the game with the Ravens, in which he recorded an impressive 62 yards on two kickoff returns.

Ellington also performed well on offense—catching three passes for 35 yards—but, due to the depth the 49ers have at receiver, a spot on special teams offers him the best chance of making a significant impact in his maiden year in the pros.

Against Baltimore Ellington looked sure-handed and was quick to showcase the burst that saw him run the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, the same burst which made him such an exciting weapon during his collegiate career at South Carolina.

Although James should be back before the start of the campaign, it remains to be seen how long it will take for the former Oregon speedster to be game-ready.

That makes Ellington's recent strong showings even more important for the 49ers, whose offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, has already lavished praise on the wideout.

The lack of playing time James has seen on offense in his two NFL seasons is a well-documented subject, with the tailback far from happy at his apparent bit-part role within the offensive attack.

However, if Ellington continues to catch the eye in camp as a return man, it is not difficult to foresee a scenario in which James makes his comeback and has no role to play whatsoever.