San Francisco 49ers: Biggest Position Battles Heading into Training Camp
The San Francisco 49ers have wrapped up their mandatory minicamp and are poised to look forward to training camp when it opens in late July.
San Francisco has seen plenty of turnover this offseason. Losses have included defensive end Justin Smith, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd, cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox, and linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland.
But these absences open up opportunities for other players to raise their game and fill the void.
Some position battles may be assumed, but rarely do NFL coaching staffs simply hand the job over to a player based strictly on his previous accolades. Each player will have to earn his job.
Yet there are a number of others who will also by vying for the top spots on San Francisco's depth chart.
With this in mind, what are going to be the hottest position battles for the 49ers? Which players are the favorites, and which presumed backups might wind up being dark-horse candidates to get a starting job?
Tight End
1 of 5
Players on Roster: Busta Anderson, Blake Bell, Derek Carrier, Garrett Celek, Asante Cleveland, Vernon Davis, Xavier Grimble, Vance McDonald
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, veteran tight end Vernon Davis should be the No. 1 starter at the position despite a poor showing in 2014.
Determining who backs him up is up for debate.
The presumed notion would be for San Francisco to again insert third-year pro tight end Vance McDonald into the immediate backup position. After all, general manager Trent Baalke spent a second-round pick on him back in 2013.
Yet the 25-year-old McDonald has struggled in the receiving game. To date, he has amassed a mere 10 receptions for 149 yards.
Subsequently, the 49ers added two more tight ends via the 2015 NFL draft: Blake Bell and Busta Anderson.
Bell could emerge as the primary competition for McDonald, according to Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus:
"TE depth for the 49ers - Blake Bell will compete with Vance McDonald behind 31 yr old Vernon Davis
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 2, 2015"
An additional player who could surpass McDonald on the depth chart is tight end Derek Carrier. Carrier flashed some brilliance last season, when he hauled in nine receptions on 14 targets for 105 yards.
Carrier's experience might put him into a position to take over McDonald's spot at No. 2 if the latter doesn't impress enough during camp. Bell's time may not come just yet.
Offensive Line
2 of 5
Players on Roster: Alex Boone, Trent Brown, Dillon Farrell, Ben Gottschalk, Sean Hooey, Daniel Kilgore, Joe Looney, Marcus Martin, Patrick Miller, Erik Pears, Justin Renfrow, Ian Silberman, Joe Staley, Brandon Thomas, Andrew Tiller
San Francisco's offensive line will be a major question mark heading into the season after the losses of left guard Mike Iupati (free agency) and right tackle Anthony Davis (retirement).
The 49ers' efforts in 2014 have already provided some depth to supplement these losses. Second-year pro linemen Dillon Farrell, Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas already provide depth and starter potential at the interior positions.
And a healthy return of center Daniel Kilgore should also be welcomed as a bonus.
Combined with veteran linemen Joe Staley and Alex Boone, is this the strongest lineup San Francisco's coaching staff will put into place?
Veteran tackle Erik Pears was picked up as a free agent during the offseason, but he could possibly emerge as a starter in Davis' wake. But Pears struggled in 2014. He totaled a minus-25.0 grade as a guard for the Buffalo Bills in 2014, per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus.
Another possibility is rookie tackle Trent Brown. Brown had been lining up with the 49ers' first-team unit during OTAs, per Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com:
"He may be a 7th-round pick, but #49ers OL Trent Brown has already impressed Jim Tomsula. http://t.co/L1qdmiAM6g pic.twitter.com/YXiorJz9bf
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) June 7, 2015"
Perhaps the most enticing option would be to line up Boone at right tackle—a position he played during his collegiate years and a possibility broken down by David Fucillo of Niners Nation.
"What position will Alex Boone primarily play in 2015? http://t.co/gTmstQpBDw pic.twitter.com/IdrrW8Eldm
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) June 17, 2015"
But Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee also reported that Boone lined up at left guard during the team's minicamp. This could simply be a move to help determine what the best options are for San Francisco in coming weeks and months.
Yet Boone might be the best option at right tackle given his college experience there. Such a move would also allow for San Francisco's interior depth to flex its muscle.
Cornerback
3 of 5
Players on Roster: Kenneth Acker, Tramaine Brock, Chris Cook, Marcus Cromartie, Mylan Hicks, Dontae Johnson, Leon McFadden, Keith Reaser, Jimmie Ward, Shareece Wright
San Francisco's secondary took a hit when it lost cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox to free agency. The tandem combined for a total of nine interceptions last season.
Like with the offensive line, general manager Trent Baalke prepared for these potential losses by drafting replacements the year before. Cornerbacks Keith Reaser and Kenneth Acker were redshirted during their rookie seasons, but they'll have a chance to compete for depth spots within the secondary.
Joining them will be other second-year pros Dontae Johnson and Jimmie Ward.
Ward will probably return to his spot as San Francisco's primary nickel back—a position he held for eight games in 2014 before being lost for the year after Week 9.
These young players will combine with veteran cornerbacks Tramaine Brock, Chris Cook and Shareece Wright. Brock played in just three games last season, so injury concerns are a bit worrisome here. The same could be said of Cook, who appeared in only six contests.
Brock will likely be the No. 1 starter at the position. Playing alongside him is up for debate.
Four years of experience, combined with the change in scenery from the San Diego Chargers, could make Wright a favorite within the secondary. But Wright struggled last season, which negates this thought. According to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, Wright was in the bottom echelon of cornerbacks over the last two seasons.
"Shareece Wright ranked in the bottom 10 among CBs in both years as a starter in SD. -16.4 coverage grade in 2014, -11.1 in 2013. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) March 13, 2015"
Perhaps this opens up the door for either Johnson, Reaser or Acker to make an impact. Johnson has a year of on-field experience over his competition.
And he is relishing the opportunity.
“I’ve been working in the weight room just getting strong, faster and more explosive,” Johnson told 49ers.com. “I want to continue to get better.”
"Coming off a standout rookie season, @3Johnson6 is ready compete in deep #49ers CB group. http://t.co/pgvpbw7939 pic.twitter.com/cBSta3Z0BE
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) May 29, 2015"
Perhaps Johnson is the player to watch during camp and into the preseason. If he impresses enough, Johnson could wind up starting in 2015.
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Defensive Line
4 of 5
Players on Roster: Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Darnell Dockett, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Kaleb Ramsey, Arik Armstead, Glenn Dorsey, Lawrence Okoye, Mike Purcell, Marcus Rush, Garrison Smith, Ian Williams
The retirement of veteran defensive end Justin Smith hurts this unit. But it is a loss that could very well be absorbed thanks to the excellent depth the 49ers have up front.
Head coach Jim Tomsula noted, via Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, that the defensive line was extremely deep this offseason. And it is a unit that was reinforced by the free-agent signing of D-lineman Darnell Dockett and the drafting of first-round target defensive end Arik Armstead.
“Where we’re strong, we’re just getting stronger, in my belief,” Tomsula said.
Dockett provides veteran presence along the line and won't have to be used on every down—something noteworthy considering his age (34 years old), recent injury history and the fact that he has struggled against the run over his career, as Pete Damilatis of Pro Football Focus noted:
"Great pass rusher, but Darnell Dockett has a -122.9 @PFF run D grade since 2007. No other interior DL is worse than -65.5.
— Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) August 21, 2014"
Armstead also helps reinforce this group. But according to Maiocco, the 49ers won't be pressed into inserting him into a regular role right away.
This will put additional pressure on guys such as Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Tony Jerod-Eddie, Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams to be a force along the D-line.
Out of that group, Carradine should be the most interesting player to watch. Carradine struggled to get on the field last year after being redshirted his rookie season in 2013. He appeared in only nine games but finished strong with three sacks over his final three games of 2014.
"All-22 of Tank Carradine's three sacks courtesy of the 49ers sub-reddit http://t.co/mfrwtVIfNV pic.twitter.com/ozf9HH3fab
— Niners Nation (@NinersNation) June 16, 2015"
With Smith gone, Carradine has the opportunity to lock down that side of the line and force opposing blockers to recognize his skill set. In turn, this should open up chances for San Francisco's pass-rushers to do their job.
One should also monitor the efforts of linemen Glenn Dorsey and Ian Williams, who missed substantial portions of last year. When healthy, both have been effective members of the 49ers D-line.
Slot Receiver
5 of 5
Players on Roster: Dres Anderson, Issac Blakeney, Anquan Boldin, DiAndre Campbell, Bruce Ellington, Mario Hull, Chuck Jacobs, Quinton Patton, Jerome Simpson, DeAndre Smelter, Torrey Smith, DeAndrew White
Veteran wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith are all but guaranteed to be the 49ers' Nos. 1 and 2 wideouts in 2015. But what about the critical slot receiver position?
San Francisco has three plausible candidates for this job: wideouts Jerome Simpson, Bruce Ellington and Quinton Patton.
Ellington's future with the team is considerably safe given his use as a return man on special teams. Although, he has been set back with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss OTAs, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.
For Patton, 2015 could be the final year in which the 49ers are willing to develop the two-year pro.
Patton has appeared in just 10 games since being drafted in 2013. In that span, he has amassed a mere six receptions for 78 yards. Injuries and a lack of opportunity have been factors here. Perhaps the 24-year-old target has recognized the need to emerge.
Maiocco described how this translated into on-the-field efforts during OTAs: "Patton spent several weeks in Arizona this offseason working with Kaepernick to help build a rapport. The combination looked good Thursday on the practice field, as Patton lined up all over the field and Kaepernick repeatedly found him with completions during 11-on-11 drills."
Hopefully this continues to translate into further offseason programs.
"Nice catch by @PattonBoy_11 at #49ers minicamp. pic.twitter.com/NEj9ITiqUC
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) June 9, 2015"
Perhaps the best candidate is Simpson—the talented yet troubled wideout who was picked up by the 49ers in free agency after missing all of the 2014 season.
Simpson has also enjoyed some solid moments during OTAs, per Joe Fann of 49ers.com.
But a dark-horse candidate to climb up the depth chart is UDFA wideout Dres Anderson. Anderson slipped out of the draft despite being ranked by CBS Sports as a Round 3 or 4 prospect. His speed and agility allowed him to haul in 53 receptions for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns for Utah back in 2013.
All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.
Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.
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