Five Questions Heading Into Training Camp
So many questions and so little answers. I got at least five for you
Happy training camp day, Faithful! With veterans reporting to camp today, July 22nd, it officially marks the start of the 2025 campaign. After a disappointing 2024 season that resulted in a 6-11 record, it’s fair to question the 49ers and what their identity is. Camp should give us some, but not all of the answers we’re looking for as we trek toward the season, so here’s a few to keep you eye on as we get started.
How much will the rookies and last year’s draft class contribute?
The 49ers' free agency back in March included departures of (SS) Talanoa Hufanga, (LB) Dre Greenlaw, (LG) Aaron Banks, cuts of (DT) Javon Hargrave, (DT) Malik Collins, (DE) Leonard Floyd, and trades of (WR) Deebo Samuel and (RB) Jordan Mason. The national media wondered why the team made these moves, but from watching film and these players' injury histories, it’s completely understandable. The 49ers needed to get younger, faster, and stronger.
In 2024, the team got contributions from (WR) Ricky Pearsall, (DB) Renardo Green, (RG) Dominick Puni, (SS) Malik Mustapha, and (RB) Issac Gurrendo. All five former rookies showed a lot of promise and hope for the future of the franchise. On August 31st, Pearsall was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery, so he didn’t get to make his NFL debut until seven weeks into the season against the Kansas City Chiefs. He didn’t start hitting his stride until Week 17 against the Detroit Lions when he had eight receptions for 141 yards with one touchdown. If he’s able to continue to keep his stride going into the upcoming season, he has the potential to be a star on the team.
Green, Puni, and Mustpaha all look like rising stars from their performances this past season, but fans will have to wait on Mustapha as he recovers from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals. Gurrendo has shown promise while taking over the starting role when Christian McCaffery suffered an Achilles and PCL injury. If Gurrendo can trust himself and have better vision following the run blocks, the 49ers might have a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield.
With the return of Robert Saleh, the team needed a massive overhaul on the defense, and that’s what they aimed to do with the 2025 draft picks. Six of the ten picks were defensive players. Players to keep an eye on during training camp are (DE) Mykel Williams, (DT) Alfred Collins, (LB) Nick Martin, (DB) Upton Stout, (DT) CJ West, (WR) Jordan Watkins, and (FS) Marques Sigel. There is a lot of potential here for this group, but we won’t know much until they put on the pads and competition starts heating up.
How will the offensive line shake up?
Left tackle Trent Williams has stated that he plans on playing until his body tells him no more, but when will that be? On July 19th, he turns 37 and the main concern is his ability to stay healthy throughout an entire season. Center Jake Brendel turns 33 this year and right tackle Colton McKivitz turns 29 as well as being on the last year of his current contract. As stated earlier, this team needs to get younger and better. With the philosophy on the defensive turnover, expect the same thing to happen in next year’s draft with the offensive line.
The position all 49ers fans should be keeping an eye on is the left guard position with the battle being between Ben Bartch, Spencer Burford, and Connor Colby. The winner will be tasked with replacing Aaron Banks, who left in free agency on a big deal to Green Bay.
Who will be the starting slot cornerback?
Cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green were some of the bright spots on the defense despite how the overall performance was as a collective group. Lenoir has positioned himself to be an All-Pro caliber player, while Green is looking to sharpen his skills entering year two and his first as a full-time starter. The only vacant position in the cornerback room is the nickel position, otherwise known as the slot.
The 49ers drafted Stout in the third round with the hopes of taking over that role. Despite his small frame, the team sees a lot of physicality from his style of play and his ability to stick in coverage. Stout will be competing for the spot with Tre Brown, who signed on the team in free agency. Brown played his first four years of his NFL career for the Seattle Seahawks but didn’t see the field much, only starting 13 out of 39 games. His stats aren’t really impressive but that might be due to the fact of his lack of experience.
Will Brock Purdy live up to his contract?
In 2022, Purdy was drafted with the last pick of the NFL draft and deemed the name, Mr. Irrelevant. His resurgence was something to behold as he led the 49ers to the NFC championship game against the Philadelphia Eagles in his first year before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) after going 5-0 in the regular season. In 2023, Purdy came in fourth in the MVP voting after having an impressive season that helped lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs, but came up short in a 25-22 loss.
Last season, half of the offensive players were injured throughout the year, which didn’t help Purdy out much, but he also made a lot of mistakes that he can’t blame on anyone but himself. He didn’t seem like he deserved the five-year, $265 million contract extension that was awarded to him from his play and statistically, but he has a proven history when the skill players around him are healthy. Purdy needs to make better decisions, throw to his checkdowns, and stop forcing the ball when the play isn’t there. If he’s able to play to a level like he did in 2023, then the contract is well worth it, but that remains to be seen.
Do the 49ers have any healthy receivers left?
With wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears, the 49ers signed free agent Demarcus Robinson to a two-year deal. Unfortunately, Robinson will most likely be starting the season suspended for a few games after getting arrested for a drinking under-the-influence (DUI) charge. That leaves Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing, and rookie Jordan Watkins.
Jennings was only 25 yards away from a 1,000-yard season last year, but still became Purdy’s favorite weapon as he was the most targeted receiver on the team. Cowing didn’t see the field often, but reports have indicated that he is in much better shape than last year, so the team hopes he will have a bigger role in the offense. Cowing has the speed to split the safeties and open up the defense more in the passing game, but it remains to be seen at the moment.
Watkins, drafted in the fourth round, has the opportunity to compete for the slot receiver position early on in the season. He was drafted to beat man and zone coverages, and he has speed with a 4.37 40-yard time from the NFL Combine. The team hopes to improve his route running, and Shanahan is very notorious against rookie receivers, but Watkins has impressed the head coach throughout the off-season training activities, so it’ll be interesting to see if the momentum continues on into training camp.