The San Francisco 49ers' 18-12 preseason victory over the Las Vegas Raiders won't count in the standings, but there was still plenty to learn from Thursday night's game at Allegiant Stadium.
We went through all four quarters in all three phases to come away with the seven biggest story lines coming out of the exhibition contest.
There was a lot to learn both on and off the field. Here are our takeaways:
1. 49ers RB depth chart looks great
Kaelon Black and Jordan James both put together strong performances Thursday night. James, who hasn't played in a full game since his final season at Oregon in 2024, got a lion's share of the workload. He played into the third quarter and racked up 35 rushing yards on eight carries. He also caught one of two targets for 20 yards. Black ran four
times for 28 yards. More important than their production was the explosiveness both RBs showed during their stints. The 49ers run game lacked chunk plays last year and both Black and James seem capable of providing that. This is a real opportunity for the 49ers to expand their run game to avoid leaning so heavily on Christian McCaffrey.
2. A major defensive line problem
The 49ers looked to rebuild their defensive line in the 2025 draft by selecting defensive tackle Alfred Collins in the second round and defensive tackle CJ West in the fourth round. Both players played deep into Thursday's game and neither was particularly good against the Raiders' reserves. If neither Collins nor West are going to be high-level contributors in 2026 it raises a ton of questions about how they can put together even an average defensive line.
3. De'Zhaun Stribling's day off
Most fans decided they'd seen enough of Stribling to be confident in him entering the regular season. The 49ers coaching staff felt the same. Despite the rookie still learning the offense, he wasn't suited up for the preseason finale which means he has earned a significant role out of the gate − which isn't typical for rookie WRs under head coach Kyle Shanahan. Stribling may not technically be a "starter" to begin the season, but it's easy to draw a path between him and the No. 2 WR spot as the season rolls along.
4. Jaden Dugger's growing pains
It would be ideal for the 49ers if Dugger quickly became the do-everything linebacker they drafted him to be. Thursday's game came with some ups and downs. He's around the football a ton and showed off his speed when creating an incompletion by forcing an early throw with a blitz off the edge. Dugger also missed a couple of tackles so badly he didn't even make contact with the ball carrier. He still finished the game with a team-high 10 tackles and two QB hits. The good news for the 49ers is the talent is very apparent with Dugger. The bad news is the learning curve might be too steep for him to have a substantial positive impact in Year 1.
5. Eddy Pineiro picks up where he left off
Pineiro missed one kick last year − a 64-yard try against the Indianapolis Colts. He went six-for-six Thursday night in Las Vegas and accounted for all 18 49ers points. He was also a perfect three-for-three from 50-plus yards, including makes from 54 and 59 yards out. Pineiro is nails.
6. Siran Neal's position change
Neal has been lining up at safety during training camp, but injuries at cornerback forced him to make a position change for the final preseason game. He was excellent in coverage and came up with a pair of pass breakups. There were a couple of other throws that weren't in the vicinity of the receiver because Neal's coverage was too good. Neal should make the team for his special teams contributions. Stepping in the way he did at CB Thursday night certainly won't hurt his case.
7. Jordan Watkins' big second half
It looked like Watkins was in for a lackluster showing in the preseason finale. He couldn't locate a Mac Jones pass on the first third-down of the game. He later had a contested catch wrestled away from him for an incompletion. On top of that he wasn't offering much in the return game. Then it looked like the 49ers started trying to manufacture some touches for him. He finished the game with a productive four catches for 64 yards, and three carries for 27 yards. It looked like San Francisco was going to force Watkins to make plays to save a roster spot, and he might've done it Thursday.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 7 things we learned from 49ers preseason victory over Raiders
