The San Francisco 49ers are back in action on Thursday, taking on the Los Angeles Chargers in their second preseason game after the two sides had a joint practice earlier this week.
San Francisco is expected to play some starters, including potentially quarterback Brock Purdy, before giving way for the backups to see some opportunities. Still, the eyes will be on the younger players who are looking to prove things and get more reps under their belts.
Who are five players to watch for the 49ers against
the Chargers on Thursday night?
RB Kaelon Black
Black was held out of San Francisco’s first preseason game with an adductor injury, which caused him to miss two weeks, but he returned to practice on Tuesday and made some plays working in with the top offense.
Christian McCaffrey won’t play, and Jordan James is out, so Black will have a big chance to put his foot forward in the running back competition in his first NFL snaps.
Eyes will be on him both in the backfield and as a pass-catcher.
WR De’Zhaun Stribling
Staying on the rookie page, De’Zhaun Stribling had quite the debut last week, shaking off some early issues to catch seven of his eight targets for 63 yards. On Thursday, Stribling will likely get a chance to work with Brock Purdy, and he could even be the focal point with Mike Evans out.
If the 49ers see enough from Stribling, this could be it for him in the preseason.
OL Carver Willis
If there’s a dark horse candidate to win that left guard competition, it’d be Willis, who has started to get some left guard reps in the three-way battle with Robert Jones and Connor Colby.
Now, he should get extended run here on Thursday, giving the coaching staff a better look at whether he’s ready to work more with the starters, or if he’s better suited as a backup for the time being.
Colby seems to be trending down in the competition. Perhaps Willis can put himself firmly in the battle on Thursday.
DL Gracen Halton
Halton had an impressive start to the preseason last year, and he seems to be one of the ready-now contributors in the 49ers rookie class. He should factor in a ton again on Thursday as the 49ers continue to figure out their defensive tackle rotation behind Osa Odighizuwa.
There’s a lot of young talent in the room with Alfred Collins, CJ West, and Halton, but the 49ers need someone to step up from that group.
S Ji’Ayir Brown
Safety play has become a bigger talking point this week after the 49ers secondary faced trouble during Tuesday’s joint practice. The 49ers didn’t do much to add to the safety room this offseason, leaving Malik Mustapha, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Marques Sigle as the top competitors there.
But free agent signee Ashtyn Davis played well in the first preseason game, and he could be an option in the room as well. Heading into the second preseason, there’s still a good amount to figure out about this room. Let’s see if Brown plays better here on Thursday night.
CB Renardo Green
Along with the left guard battle, another ongoing one has been the cornerback battle between Jack Jones and Renardo Green.
Jones, a free-agent signee, has been praised by defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and has made plays in camp, while Green is looking to bounce back from an inconsistent sophomore season.
In an ideal world, we see Green be the cornerback that he displayed on tape coming out of Florida State. But both players should see the field a good amount on Thursday, giving more information on how the battle could play out.
