San Francisco 49ers: 5 Positions Still Up for Grabs

One position on the San Francisco 49ers still up for grabs is the No. 3 wide receiver.

When the offseason began, it seemed the No. 3 receiver would be Jerome Simpson—he was the most experienced of the backups. But the NFL recently suspended him for the first six games of the regular season.

Now, Quinton Patton seems like the favorite to be the Niners No. 3 receiver—during 11-on-11 drills in training camp he caught 12 passes thrown by Colin Kaepernick—far more than any other backup receiver.

But Patton hasn’t stood out during the preseason. He has two receiving yards through two exhibition games.

The No. 3 receiver probably should be Bruce Ellington, who missed all but a couple of practices this offseason because of various muscle strains. He returned to practice Tuesday afternoon and played a few snaps during team drills.

Just how quickly Ellington returns will determine who the Niners' No. 3 receiver will be.

Here are five more positions still up for grabs as the 49ers enter Week 3 of the preseason.

Center

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Daniel Kilgore is a good center. Last season Pro Football Focus gave him a plus-4.1 grade, even though he played just 463 snaps. He broke his ankle during Week 7 and spent the rest of the season on the injured reserve list.

Kilgore will start when he’s healthy, but he isn’t healthy yet. He still wears a boot, and he hasn’t participated in team activities all offseason. He rehabs and then watches practice from the sideline.

Joe Looney has been the starting center most of the offseason—minicamp, OTAs and the first three weeks of training camp. But he was not the starting center at practice Tuesday afternoon—Marcus Martin was the starter. Looney was on the bench.

Martin was the starting right guard most of the offseason. He probably will move back to that position when Kilgore returns to the lineup.

Right Guard

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While Marcus Martin plays center, the Niners need a new right guard. And you’d think that player would be Brandon Thomas, a 2014 third-round pick who missed his rookie season due to a torn ACL.

But Thomas played left guard Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. And Thomas will continue to play on the left side, head coach Jim Tomsula told reporters on a conference call Monday afternoon. Thomas played left tackle in college, so he’s comfortable on that side.

Tomsula did not say who the new starting right guard would be, but at practice Tuesday afternoon we found out: rookie sixth-round pick Ian Silberman. He played right guard for the first-team offense the entire practice.

If Silberman plays well during the third preseason game, he probably will win the starting job for the start of the season. But, if he plays poorly, the Niners may replace him with Jordan Devey, who made four starts at right guard for the New England Patriots last season.

Inside Linebacker

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Michael Wilhoite started 16 games at inside linebacker for the 49ers last season, but he missed the first three weeks of training camp with a muscle pull. And his replacement, Nick Moody, was fantastic.

Moody intercepted two passes and broke up a few as well during training camp. He seemed like a playmaker, a young player on the rise.

During the first two preseason games, Moody was solid but not spectacular. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of plus-2.7.

Tuesday afternoon, Wilhoite returned to practice and immediately took Moody’s spot in the starting lineup. Wilhoite played every snap with the first-team defense, while Moody played every snap with the second-team defense.

Clearly the Niners have more confidence in Wilhoite than Moody, but that could change if Wilhoite plays poorly against the Denver Broncos during Week 3 of the preseason.

Right Cornerback

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The Niners seem to have a new right cornerback every week.

Week 1 of the preseason, the starting right cornerback was Shareece Wright.

Week 2 of the preseason, the starting right cornerback was Keith Reaser.

Week 3 of the preseason, the starting right cornerback seems to be Kenneth Acker—he certainly played there Tuesday afternoon during practice.

The Niners drafted Acker in the sixth round of the 2014 draft, and he spent his rookie season on the injured reserve list due to a broken foot.

But he has played well this offseason. He almost never gives up a long catch, and he’s physical when he jams receivers—much more physical than Reaser.

That doesn’t mean Acker definitely will start Week 1 of the regular season. The Niners seem to change their minds about their cornerbacks weekly. Maybe next week they’ll give Dontae Johnson a chance to start.

No. 3 Running Back

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Carlos Hyde is the starting running back, and Reggie Bush is the backup—those two spots are set.

But who will be the No. 3 running back?

Will it be Mike Davis, one of the 49ers’ fourth-round picks this offseason? Will it be Jarryd Hayne, the 27-year-old rookie? Or will it be Kendall Hunter, the five-year veteran who missed 2014 because of a torn ACL?

Tuesday during practice, it seemed the answer will be Hunter.

Hunter hasn’t participated much during team drills this offseason—the Niners want to keep him healthy for the regular season. But he was a full participant Tuesday afternoon, and as a member of the first-team offense during 11-on-11s, he had five touches, while Davis had only one and Hayne had zero.

Hunter was the focal point of the offense, which suggests the Niners will play him extensively against the Denver Broncos during Week 3 of the preseason. If Hunter plays well, the No. 3 running back job will belong to him. Until then, this job is up in the air.

All quotations and practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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