With 49ers OTAs underway, I think it\u2019s time to look at my key camp battles, as well as what players are under the most pressure the produce this offseason\/preseason.<\/p>\n
First up are the 49ers camp battles.<\/p>\n
#1 Quarterback:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 49ers have 3 players who will compete for their starting QB spot, Brock Purdy, Trey Lance, & Sam Darnold, and it\u2019ll be interesting to see if\/when Brock is back, how the 49ers will split reps up between the 3 of them, as the 49ers have 3 starting quality QBs in these 3, if I had to choose, I\u2019m taking Purdy based off of last year, but I can\u2019t discount or count out either Lance, or Darnold, so buckle up, get your popcorn ready, cause it\u2019s gonna be a show, yes I just quoted Terrell Owens lol.<\/p>\n #4 Running Back:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 49ers have a plethora of backs in camp this year, we all know Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, & Jordan Mason are likely penciled in as #1, #2, & #3 RBs respectively of course, but we have some real competition for the 4th<\/sup> RB spot, Tyrion Davis-Price, Ronald Awatt, & Khalan Laborn all battling it out, and so far this is a tough one to predict, so If I had to take a stab at it as of now, I\u2019m going to go with Tyrion Davis-Price, as the 49ers invested a 3rd<\/sup>-round pick in him, and it would be tough to have to cut another 3rd<\/sup> round running back a year after cutting Trey Sermon.<\/p>\n #6 Wide Receiver:<\/strong><\/p>\n I have the 49ers keeping 6 WRs, with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud III, & Danny Gray as locks to make the roster as of now, so battling for that 6th<\/sup> WR spot will be the likes of 7th<\/sup>-rounder Ronnie Bell, Chris Conley, & Willie Snead IV, and this is a tough one, as Conley has $400,000 guaranteed, and Snead has $250,000 guaranteed, but like we saw last year with Malik Turner, & Marcus Johnson, who both had a good portion of their base salaries guaranteed, it means nothing, so I\u2019m going with the guy who\u2019s on a 4-year, rookie deal, a cheap deal, in Ronnie Bell, as of now.<\/p>\n #2 & #3 Tight Ends:<\/strong><\/p>\n I do have 3rd<\/sup>-round pick Cameron Latu, & 7th<\/sup>-round pick Brayden Willis as locks to make the team, so really you\u2019d think their isn\u2019t a competition here, but everyone needs to earn their spot, so Latu, Willis will battle out with the likes of Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner, & Troy Fumagalli, and if I had to choose someone who may make it as a possible 4th<\/sup> TE, it\u2019s Ross Dwelley, only because he has $700,000 guaranteed.<\/p>\n Starting Right Tackle & Swing Tackle:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 49ers re-signed Colton McKivitz to a 2-year deal, while they also have Jaylon Moore, free agent signee Matt Pryor, & UDFAs like Ilm Manning, & Joey Fisher, who may be best suited for the interior offensive line, but these 5 players should be in the mix for not only the starting RT spot, but also who the Swing Tackle will be.<\/p>\n 3rd<\/sup>-5th<\/sup> Defensive Ends\/EDGE Rushers:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 49ers have two good EDGE rushers in Nick Bosa, & former 2nd<\/sup>-round pick Drake Jackson, who looks like a totally new person\/player, so those 2 are penciled in as the starters, but the rest of the EDGE rushers are up for grabs, with the likes of free agent signees Clelin Ferrell, & Austin Bryant, who have significant guaranteed money, along with Kerry Hyder Jr., & Robert Beal Jr. all competing for those final 3 spots, with my money on Ferrell, Bryant, & Beal early on, but if the 49ers think they need a 6th<\/sup> EDGE\/11th<\/sup> DL then look for Hyder to get that spot, especially since Hyder has versatility to play DE, & DT.<\/p>\n Starting Strongside Linebacker & Backup Linebackers:<\/strong><\/p>\n The 49ers have a plethora of linebackers, with MLB Fred Warner, & WLB Dre Greenlaw as locks, along with special teamer Oren Burks as a lock in my eyes, but Burks will get a shot to win the SLB spot, along with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, who has $1.25 million of his $1.825 million cap number fully guaranteed, 6th<\/sup>-rounder Dee Winters, 7th<\/sup>-rounder Jalen Graham, and former UDFA Marcelino McCrary-Ball, but that\u2019s not the only spot up for grabs, as the team needs backups, so all of these players will have a shot at the 2 backup LB spots open in my eyes, with Winters & Graham being my early front runner for starting SLB, and backup LB spot, along with Burks.<\/p>\n 4th<\/sup> & 5th<\/sup> Cornerbacks:<\/strong><\/p>\n The starting cornerback spots look to be locked up, with Charvarius Ward, & Deommodore Lenoir being the outside corners, with Isaiah Oliver as the nickelback\/slot corner, which leaves the following competing for the primary backup spots, Samuel Womack III, 5th<\/sup>-rounder Darrell Luter Jr., Ambry Thomas, while D\u2019Shawn Jamison, & Qwuantrezz Knight having a small chance, but I view Womack, & Luter as locks to make this squad, and if the team keeps a 6th<\/sup> CB, Thomas would be the choice, but he needs to show something, anything to prove he wasn\u2019t a back pick.<\/p>\n Place Kicker:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ok, so this really shouldn\u2019t be a battle, as the 49ers invested a 3rd<\/sup>-rounder in Michigan PK Jake Moody, but the 49ers also have Zane Gonzalez, who they acquired in a trade with Carolina, but you don\u2019t invest the kind of draft capital in Moody to end up cutting him, so Moody is the guy going into 2023, but don\u2019t be shocked if they get Gonzalez to sign to the teams\u2019 practice squad.<\/p>\n Now, my top 5 players with the most pressure to show something this offseason to keep their roster spot.<\/p>\n\n