The San Francisco 49ers’ preseason finale didn’t have a touchdown scored. The special teams showed out, while the rookies continued to learn on the fly as the coaching staff evaluated the roster. Let’s get into the final winners and losers from August.
Winners
Eddy Pineiro
Kyle Shanahan said he was “pissed” at Pineiro for deferring to the second half in the preseason. The 49ers kicker followed that up with a touchback on the opening kick. You’re here to evaluate players covering kicks, so it was an 0-2 start for Pineiro.
That would be his last blunder.
Dineiro Pineiro made all six of his field goal attempts, including three from 50+ and a 59-yarder. The ball barely moved. Pineiro was making his kicks with room to spare.
Corliss Waitman
Waitman could end up being one of the better additions for the Niners this offseason, if his preseason performance is any indication. He had four punts with a net average of 46.5 yards. All four of his punts landed inside of the 20. Two of them were fair caught. The other two didn’t gain any yards. And Waitman’s long was 53 yards. Any time you can make your opponent go 80+ yards, you’ve done your job.
Jack Jones
Jones only played six snaps. He gave up a curl route for 14 yards. But he jumped a Brock Bowers route for a near interception. Those are the types of plays 49ers cornerbacks haven’t been in a position to make in several years. Jones also made an open-field tackle and was a willing run defender in limited action.
Jones is a different type of player than what the Niners have had at cornerback in some time. That might end up being a good thing.
Khalil Dinkins
This kid is worth investing in. On Dinkins’ second play, the team trusted him to stay in and pass protect. He ended up helping right tackle Brandon Parker on a defensive lineman. On the next play, Dinkins drove the safety about seven yards from where he started.
On the play where Jordan James ran for 17 yards, Dinkins worked to the linebacker and secured him, paving the way for James. Who knows if Dinkins ever turns into a viable pass catcher, but he is the exact type of prospect the team has drafted in the sixth round under this regime.
Dinkins is a keeper. The aggression he plays with is palpable. Dinkins blocks with the intent that George Kittle would admire. He should stick on the practice squad.
Losers
The defensive line
We did not see Sam Okuayinonu, Osa Odighizuwa, Nick Bosa, or Romello Height. So, the players who project to log starter snaps.
Alfred Collins, a second-round pick, played late into the third quarter. Shanahan cited that it was because of rust. The reality is that Collins has not been effective. It was the same as it’s been in each of the previous two games for Collins. He was moved easily against the run and did not win as a pass rusher.
I’d argue the best run play from a defensive tackle was by Keion White on third down. Outside of that, Collins, CJ West, Sebastian Davis, James Thompson Jr., and Bryson Eason all left a lot to be desired against the Raiders’ first- and second-team offensive line. They made Spencer Burford look good.
Nobody really won when it came to rushing the passer, either. Ogbo Okoronkwo had a couple of pressures, but no other defensive lineman can say the same.
West won once as a pass rusher. So did Thompson Jr. and Valdez. But that does it as far as wins are concerned. It was an uninspiring performance from a group that had given us hope during the past couple of weeks. Maybe this is who they are, and it’s a sign the 49ers need to add bodies who are not on the roster in an effort to find somebody who can contribute while Mykel Williams is out.
The defensive line depth, unsurprisingly, is concerning.
Carver Willis
Willis may win the left guard job because nobody else around him can stay healthy. But it won’t be because of the product he put out in the preseason after Week 1. Willis is inconsistent, as you’d expect from a rookie.
He played the entire first half. In those 29 snaps, it’s problematic if Willis is going against a defensive tackle with length. He still looks unsure of who to block at times when on the move. But I think his ability to strain blocks, aka hold his ground when he’s head up against somebody 1-on-1, could be an issue.
I think Willis will end up being a good player, but it’s obvious he needs some time. Can the 49ers afford to give him that time?
