Last month I did 2 separate pieces on 5 players who are in danger of losing their roster spot, along with 5 players who could sneak their way onto the 2021 roster.
So today I’m going to go over 5 offensive players that are in a make or break season, players who are either under contract for 2022, or are players who need to have a breakout season in order to be brought back.
Running Back Raheem Mostert:
It may be a surprise to see the 49ers leading rusher back in 2019 to be on this list, but Mostert has had a very hard time staying healthy, despite his high production.
Mostert needs to play as close to 17 games as possible for him to be offered a new contract, plus show the production that he showed back in 2019, when the 49ers made their run to the super bowl.
On thing that could keep the 49ers from keeping Mostert is, his price tag, he asked the 49ers for a raise in 2020, something comparable to what Tevin Coleman was making, but eventually the 49ers didn’t extend him, but did bump his 2021 salary up to $2.975 million, and gave him a $250,000 signing bonus, but that won’t be enough to retain Mostert, so 2021 will be an interesting season.
Also, with the 49ers drafting two backs, mainly Trey Sermon, he could make Mostert expendable after 2021.
Running Back Jeff Wilson Jr.:
Like with Mostert, Wilson really needs to have a breakout season to be considered apart of the teams long term plans, and also like Mostert, Wilson was the teams leading rusher in 2020.
Of course, we all know that Wilson suffered a torn meniscus during the 49ers offseason workout program, so he won’t be back till late October to early November.
But if Wilson can come back, make an impact during the rest of the season, and also be productive in the playoffs, if the 49ers make it, then he has a good chance of being brought back, but like with Mostert, the 49ers drafting of 2 backs might make Wilson expendable, but I’d expect the 49ers to bring back one of the two backs in 2022.
Wide Receiver Jalen Hurd:
Hurd missed his first 2 seasons due to injuries, a back injury in 2019, and a torn ACL in 2020, so this season is really a make or break type of season for him.
Hurd showed promise in his 1 preseason game back in 2019 when he caught two touchdowns, but the 49ers have yet to see him play any meaningful snaps.
In order for Hurd to keep ahold of his spot on the team, he needs to win that 3rd WR spot, be the Slot WR, and just be a do-it-all player, something like a hybrid WR/TE.
Hurd has all the talent in the world, from when he was a running back at Tennessee, all the way to when he converted to being a wide receiver at Baylor, so I think everyone has their eye on Jalen, and hope he can carve out a long term spot.
Left Guard Laken Tomlinson:
While Tomlinson has been a great addition during the Shanahan/Lynch tenure, and being a great run blocker, he hasn’t been the best pass protector.
Tomlinson has also been kind of an iron man, playing nearly all of the snaps at left guard since the 49ers traded for him.
Now, you may ask why is this a make or break year for Tomlinson? Well, for one, he needs to improve his pass protection, but also the fact that in the last 2 drafts, the 49ers selected 3 interior lineman, Colton McKivitz, Aaron Banks, & Jaylon Moore, so the 49ers could end up having one of these players be the new left guard, with the other being the teams right guard.
Right Tackle Mike McGlinchey:
While McGlinchey is one of the best run blocking right tackles in the NFL, he does lack a lot in the pass protection area, so 2021 could be a make or break season.
Now, yes, the 49ers exercised his 5th-year option, which guarantees him $10.808 million in 2022, but that doesn’t mean the 49ers couldn’t try & trade him, even if it only nets a late round pick, or the 49ers are forced to swap picks.
So with all of this said, I thank everyone for reading article, as always you can follow me on Twitter @49erscap, or leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you.
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