Ranking San Francisco 49ers' Top 5 Sleepers to Watch in Camp

One of the San Francisco 49ers’ top sleepers of 2015 is a running back you may not have heard of: Kendall Gaskins.

He was an undrafted free agent in 2013, and the Niners picked him up during the 2014 regular season and put him on the practice squad. This offseason they signed him to a reserve/future contract.

During OTAs and minicamp, Gaskins, 24, looked quick and explosive for such a big man (6’1”, 238 pounds). At times he looked like Carlos Hyde.

Most of the time Gaskins seemed better than 2015 fourth-round pick and former South Carolina running back Mike Davis. And the coaches rewarded Gaskins, giving him reps before Davis during team drills almost every day. Davis seemed stuck at the bottom of the depth chart.

The Niners probably won’t cut Davis after one offseason—they invested a fourth-round pick in him. So he probably will make the team and Gaskins probably won’t. But don’t sleep on Gaskins. He’s the Niners’ sleeper honorable mention.

Here are the top-five sleepers to watch during the Niners’ training camp.

5. Lawrence Okoye, Defensive Lineman, Third Year

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The 49ers signed Lawrence Okoye, an Olympic discus thrower, in 2013. He had never played football, although he grew up playing rugby.

For the past two years, the Niners have been developing Okoye to become a defensive end in their 3-4 defense. He spent 2013 on the Injured Reserve list and 2014 on the practice squad.

Okoye is only 23, and he's athletically similar to the 49ers’ 2015 first-round draft pick, 21-year old Arik Armstead.

Okoye: 6’6”, 304 lbs, 34 ½-inch arms, 4.84-second 40-yard dash, 30 reps on the bench.

Armstead: 6’7”, 292 lbs, 33-inch arms, 5.10-second 40-yard dash, 24 reps on the bench.

Looking at those numbers, Okoye seems more athletic than Armstead, definitely stronger and faster. But Armstead has been playing football since he was a kid (although not full-time until last year), and Okoye has been playing for only two years.

Okoye is competing for the final spot on the 49ers’ defensive-line depth chart. If veteran Darnell Dockett has to start the season on the non-football injury list due to the torn ACL he suffered last August, Okoye will have a decent shot to make the team.

4. Jarryd Hayne, Running Back/Returner, Rookie

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Like Okoye, Jarryd Hayne had never played football when the 49ers signed him. And like Okoye, Hayne is a world-class athlete.

Hayne, 27, was the Rugby League player of the year in 2014. The Niners signed him this offseason to play running back and return punts and kicks.

When watching Hayne’s Rugby League highlights, it’s easy to see he has the requisite athleticism and instincts to weave through defenders in space. He seems perfectly suited to be a returner.

But can he find the hole quickly as a running back? And can he do that while he runs with a low-pad level, protect the ball and protect himself at the same time?

If not, he probably will have to spend a year on the practice squad.

3. Kenneth Acker, Cornerback, Second Year

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Former 2014 sixth-round pick Kenneth Acker played extremely well during training camp and the first two games of the preseason last year.

Quarterbacks rarely tested him, meaning they respected him, and his coverage was tight. Opposing quarterbacks targeted the receiver Acker was covering only three times during the first two preseason games, according to Pro Football Focus.

The next two games Acker played through a stress fracture in his foot and was targeted eight times. He ended up spending his rookie season on the Injured Reserve list.

But Acker was a full participant during OTAs and minicamp this offseason. If he plays as well during this preseason as he did during the first two preseason games last year, he could make the team as one of the last cornerbacks on the depth chart.

2. Keith Reaser, Cornerback, Second Year

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Like Acker, 2014 fifth-round pick Keith Reaser spent his rookie season on I.R. He tore his ACL his senior season at Florida Atlantic University.

But unlike Acker, Reaser is competing for a starting job. As long he's healthy, Reaser is almost guaranteed to have a roster spot—he was outstanding during OTAs and minicamp.

Reaser can cover outside or in the slot, meaning he potentially could take Shareece Wright’s job at right cornerback or Jimmie Ward’s job at nickelback. Both players are currently rehabbing injuries.

Reaser is relatively big for a cornerback (6’0”, 190 lbs), he’s extremely fast (4.3-second 40-yard dash) and he excels in man coverage. He might emerge as the Niners’ best cornerback by the end of the season.

1. Bruce Ellington, Wide Receiver/Returner, Second Year

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Of the 49ers’ young wide receivers, undrafted rookie DeAndrew White created the most buzz during OTAs and minicamp. He was terrific.

Bruce Ellington, the 49ers’ 2014 fourth-round draft pick, created no buzz, but not because he played poorly. He didn’t play at all. He was rehabbing a pulled hamstring.

When healthy, Ellington is probably the 49ers’ best young wide receiver. He was excellent during the preseason last year, hauling in 12 catches, including one for a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.

And Ellington was effective during the regular season despite receiving sparse playing time, scoring four touchdowns on 12 touches. He was a threat as a receiver, a running back and a returner.

Ellington is competing with Quinton Patton and Jerome Simpson to be the Niners’ No. 3 receiver. Don’t be surprised if Ellington wins that competition due to his versatility.

All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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