San Francisco 49ers: 6 Most Crucial Training Camp Position Battles to Watch

One battle worth watching during the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp is the battle between the backup quarterbacks—Blaine Gabbert and Dylan Thompson.

Gabbert is the veteran. He’s entering his second season with the team and his fifth season in the league. And he’s smart. He’s like Alex Smith, minus the ability to throw accurate passes.

Like Smith, Gabbert is extremely conservative. He almost never attempts a pass more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. Unlike Gabbert, undrafted rookie quarterback Dylan Thompson is aggressive, frequently taking shots downfield during OTAs and minicamp.

If Thompson completes some of those deep passes during the preseason and proves to the coaches he fully grasps the offense, he has an outside chance to take Gabbert’s roster spot.

That’s one crucial camp battle. In ascending order, here are the top five 49ers training camp battles to watch in 2015.

6. No. 2 Tight End

Associated Press

Vance McDonald is a premier blocking tight end.

No. 2 Tight End

Competitors: Vance McDonald, Blake Bell

Vance McDonald has been the Niners’ No. 2 tight end since they took him in the second round of the 2013 draft.

McDonald is a tremendously powerful blocker—almost as powerful as an offensive lineman. He can block on the line of scrimmage as an inline tight end, and he can block on the move as an H-back.

He's an asset to a run-first offense that uses a gap-blocking scheme, like the Niners used under head coach Jim Harbaugh. But the Niners are transitioning to a zone-blocking scheme under head coach Jim Tomsula. Zone blocking does not require tight ends who are dominant blockers.

The Niners probably want their No. 2 tight end to be a receiving threat, which McDonald is not. He has made just 10 catches in his career.

Rookie fourth-round pick Blake Bell was much more productive catching the football than McDonald during team drills at OTAs and minicamp. Bell seems like a natural receiver.

Favorite: Bell

5. No. 3 Wide Receiver

Associated Press

Jerome Simpson makes a move after catching a pass during practice.

No. 3 Wide Receiver

Competitors: Jerome Simpson, Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton

In 2013, the 49ers spent a fourth-round pick on Quinton Patton. In 2014, they spent a fourth-round pick on Bruce Ellington. Those two will get every opportunity to win the No. 3 job because the Niners are invested in them.

But Ellington and Patton have accomplished nothing in the NFL. Combined, they’ve played 23 games and made zero starts. They’re young and unproven.

Jerome Simpson, 29, is in his prime. He has played 57 games in the NFL and has made 36 starts. During his most recent season—2013—he made 48 catches and averaged 15.1 yards per catch for the Minnesota Vikings, and he was catching passes from Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder.

Simpson is a legitimate deep threat. Finally, he gets to play with a strong-armed quarterback—Colin Kaepernick.

Favorite: Simpson

4. No. 2 Running Back

Associated Press

Kendall Hunter runs on his surgically repaired knee.

Competitors: Reggie Bush, Kendall Hunter

Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter will bring different things to the 49ers offense.

Hunter is at his best on early downs. On first down, his career rushing average is 4.9 yards per carry.

And on runs outside the tackles, his career average is 5.2 yards per carry, as opposed to the 3.2 yards per carry he's averaging between the tackles. Hunter is an outstanding outside runner, a perfect change of pace for Carlos Hyde, who's a bruising inside runner.

But Hunter isn’t much of a third-down back. Third down typically is a passing down, and Hunter has made just three third-down catches in his career.

Reggie Bush made 12 third-down catches just last season even though he played only 11 games. During nine NFL seasons, he has made 135 third-down catches, and 74 have resulted in first downs.

Bush most likely will be the 49ers’ third-down back in 2015, while Hunter probably will play only when Hyde needs a breather on first or second down.

Favorite: Bush

3. No. 2 Cornerback

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Dontae Johnson (left) waits his turn to compete in practice.

No. 2 Cornerback

Competitors: Shareece Wright, Keith Reaser, Dontae Johnson

This offseason the 49ers signed veteran cornerback Shareece Wright, who made 27 starts the past two seasons for the San Diego Chargers.

Wright missed OTAs and minicamp with the Niners due to an undisclosed injury. In his absence, second-year cornerback Keith Reaser stole the spotlight, shutting down almost every receiver he faced during team drills.

Dontae Johnson, a fourth-round pick in 2014, did not stand out. To win the No. 2 cornerback job, Johnson probably will have to dominate during training camp and preseason like Reaser dominated during minicamp and OTAs.

And if neither player dominates in August, the Niners might decide to go conservative and give the starting job to the veteran—Wright.

Favorite: Wright

2. Left Defensive End

Associated Press

Quinton Dial (left) is in the best shape of his career.

Left Defensive End

Competitors: Quinton Dial, Arik Armstead

When the 49ers drafted Arik Armstead in the first round this year, it was clear they drafted him to replace Ray McDonald at left defensive end in their 3-4 defense. That’s the position Armstead played at the University of Oregon.

But Armstead couldn’t participate during OTAs and minicamp this offseason. He had to sit out until Oregon’s school year ended.

While he sat out, third-year defensive end Quinton Dial took reps with the first-team defense. Dial, who turns 25 on July 21, has spent the past two years in the 49ers’ strength-training program. He’s in fantastic shape.

What kind of shape is Armstead in? He hasn’t played football all offseason, is only 21 and has been a full-time football player for only one year. He split time between football and basketball until his junior year at Oregon.

Armstead might need a year (or two) to lift and get stronger like Dial needed.

Favorite: Dial

1. Right Guard

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Brandon Thomas (right) is competing to be the starting right guard.

Right Guard

Competitors: Marcus Martin, Brandon Thomas

Right guard is the only spot on the 49ers’ offensive line that’s up for grabs. The competitors are two third-round draft picks from 2014—Marcus Martin and Brandon Thomas.

Martin started eight games last season at center after starting center Daniel Kilgore broke his ankle. Thomas missed the 2014 season—he was rehabbing a torn ACL he suffered during a pre-draft workout with the New Orleans Saints.

Martin received first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp, while Thomas slowly re-acclimated himself to football with the second-team offense. No reason for Thomas to push himself in May or June.

But he’ll have to push himself in August to win the starting job at right guard. And he’s talented enough to win it—he might have been a second-round pick had he not torn his ACL before the draft.

Still, Martin’s year of experience gives him an advantage over Thomas for 2015.

Favorite: Martin

All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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