The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of their first session of Organized Team Activities (OTA) which conclude on Thursday, May 25.
Position battles are not won during OTAs, but one battle that everyone is keeping an eye on is at quarterback.
While second-year quarterback Brock Purdy continues to rehab his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) injury suffered in last year’s NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the 49ers will get an extensive look at quarterbacks Trey Lance and Sam Darnold.
But the battle at quarterback will not be the only focus this off-season for the 49ers; and they will have a lot of tough decisions to make in order to decide the final 53-man roster.
Here are four offensive players who are on the bubble to make the 49ers 2023 roster; along with the competition they will be facing.
TDP was drafted 93rd overall (third round) by the 49ers in the 2022 NFL Draft, but could not become established during his rookie campaign; as the former LSU-product only ran for 99 yards on 34 carries last season.
With running backs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell both locked in as the 1-2 Punch for the 49ers running game, TDP will have to earn his keep this off-season as the competition for No. 3 running back will ramp up.
Jordan Mason signed as an undrafted free agent last season with the 49ers, and proved to be a capable, alternative option to both McCaffrey and Mitchell by averaging 6.0 yards per rush on 43 carries; also in the mix at running back is Khalan Laborn.
Laborn, like Mason last season, went undrafted but signed with the 49ers after the 2023 NFL Draft; and so far the former 5-star recruit is making a good impression with the team.
If Laborn continues to turn heads as Week 1 approaches, placing him on the 49ers practice squad would put the Virginia native at risk of being signed to another NFL squad which could make TDP’s situation a complicated one.
And though a lot can happen between now and then, it is obvious that TDP will have to turn it up a notch or two in order to make the 53-man roster.
The 49ers have four wide receivers in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ray-Ray McCloud who will be the main contributors in the passing game.
Despite being drafted in the third round (105th overall) by the 49ers and possessing elite speed, Gray was rarely seen on the field last season and only had one reception on seven targets.
Becoming a fifth wide receiver for the 49ers will be a huge task for Gray to tackle with veteran Chris Conley, as well as rookies Ronnie Bell and Isaiah Winstead also in the mix.
Conley brings experience at the wide receiver position; while Bell (253rd overall pick, Round 7) is one who is not afraid to go up and fight for the ball in the air. Winstead will get his opportunity as well after going viral nearly a month ago.
Like TDP with the running backs, it is up to Gray to take it to the next level and prove he can be that guy at wide receiver.
TEs ROSS DWELLEY & CHARLIE WOERNER
With the addition of two tight ends via last month’s Draft, both Dwelley and Woerner have been put on notice.
The 49ers would like to utilize another tight end to play opposite 4x Pro Bowler George Kittle as an offensive weapon, but Dwelley and Woerner have their limitations.
Thankfully for the 49ers, this year’s Draft was deep in talent at the tight end position; and they took advantage by selecting both Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis.
Despite starting at linebacker with the Alabama Crimson Tide his freshman year, Latu made the move to tight end at the suggestion of Alabama head coach Nick Saban and former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
The move turned out to be a good decision as Latu would develop into a reliable target for No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young during their time at Alabama.
Along with being known for his blocking skills, Willis had a knack for having the ability to line up anywhere on the offensive side as he demonstrated with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Willis does have experience lining up at the fullback position; so it would not be a complete surprise if he would be groomed for 7x Pro Bowler Kyle Juszczyk who turned 32 last month.
But Willis has a ways to go as Juszczyk hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Both Latu and Willis will need to adjust to the speed of the NFL quick if they have any hope of making an immediate impact on the 49ers; but both rookies have versatility on their side that could be beneficial at the tight end position.
Which brings us back to Dwelley and Woerner…
Although neither possess the versatile attributes of their rookie counterparts, they do have experience on their side; but experience can go so far.
And with Dwelley on a one-year deal and Woerner on the final year of his rookie contract, it could signal the coming of the Latu/Willis era.
Written by Thizzle75 aka Paul Williams
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