Quarterback Mac Jones, who is with his third team in three years, likely will have plenty of chances to impress with the 49ers during the preseason.
Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle
The second-team San Francisco 49ers will play host to the first-team Denver Broncos in Saturday’s preseason opener.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan may not rest all 22 starters, “but don’t expect to see a lot out there,” he said. Broncos head coach Sean Payton has often taken a different approach. He suggested earlier this week his starters will likely get some game reps, health permitting.
It’s not as if the 49ers have a clear set of starters outside of the obvious incumbents anyway. Robert Saleh has repeatedly noted his defense could field up to eight new starters. For those in contention, plus the cohort of players jockeying for position further down the depth chart on both sides of the ball, a Broncos team fresh off their first postseason appearance since the 2015 season will serve as an important measuring stick.
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Most fans only know what they’ve heard. Soon, they’ll see for themselves.
Here are five 49ers players to watch in Saturday’s action:
QB Mac Jones: He finds himself on his third team in three years. He was supposed to be New England’s franchise quarterback. When that fell through, the Jaguars in 2024 took on the final year of his rookie contract to have him back up Trevor Lawrence, whose midseason concussion created a chance for Jones to reemerge. The former 2021 first-rounder then threw as many interceptions as touchdown passes.
As a free agent this offseason, Jones sought sanctuary with the 49ers. Perhaps an offensive guru (Shanahan) was what the doctor ordered. The diagnosis? Shaken confidence.
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“You see a lot of guys that bounce around or whatever, and honestly, it just takes finding the right fit,” Jones said. “I’m fortunate to be here. Everyone’s career is different, but I feel like there’s a system in place.”
He was brought in to back up Brock Purdy. The cupboard is pretty bare behind those two, with Carter Bradley, the 25-year-old son of assistant defensive head coach Gus Bradley, and Tanner Mordecai, re-signed Friday after being cut for Bradley earlier in the week.
In consideration of an offensive line anchored by an aging Trent Williams that also lost Aaron Banks to free agency, Jones ought to be ready as necessary. He worked through 10 padded practices on his own during the 40 days away to bridge the gap between him and Shanahan’s system. His training camp showed promising results.
“We had an idea of what we hoped he’d be like, and he’s been exactly that,” Shanahan said Thursday after the 49ers-Broncos joint practice.
DB Upton Stout: The third-round pick has been the talk of training camp. The 49ers selected three rookies before him: defensive end Mykel Williams (first round), defensive tackle Alfred Collins (second round) and linebacker Nick Martin (third round), but it’s Stout who has earned what Saleh called an “inside track” to start Week 1. Mykel Williams already had that when he was selected No. 11 overall.
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Upton Stout, though only a rookie, appears to have the inside track to be the 49ers’ primary nickel corner.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
As the 49ers aim to move Deommodore Lenoir to a full-time outside corner role, offseason signing Tre Brown, a fifth-year cornerback, appears to be Stout’s closest competition at the nickel corner position.
It hasn’t been all that close. Stout’s ability to cover from the slot corner position has set him apart. Naturally, how he fares at Levi’s Stadium will be closely monitored, especially considering one of his biggest question marks remains his ability to tackle in and around the box considering his 5-foot-9, 181-pound stature.
“You could probably say he has the inside track in a very long race,” Saleh said. “We still have three preseason games. He’s still got to show that he can do what he’s been doing against different competition. Still got to show that he can tackle.”
DT Sebastian Valdez: Of course, the two defensive tackles the 49ers drafted have taken up a lot of attention. Fourth-rounder C.J. West made a strong first impression with a dominant showing his first day in pads and hasn’t looked back. Collins, while off to a slow start, has been hard to miss at 6-foot-5 and 332 pounds.
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Then there’s Valdez, an undrafted free agent they call “the Hulk.”
Undrafted rookie defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez has impressed his teammates during training camp.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
A 6-foot-3, 301-pound defensive tackle out of Washington, Valdez has often feasted in O-line/D-line 1-on-1 drills. His quickness as an interior pass rusher was as difficult for teammates to deal with in training camp as it was for Broncos offensive line reserves Thursday, when he repped with the second-team defense across multiple team periods.
He moved up the depth chart due to numerous injuries the 49ers were dealing with up front. But no matter the reason, he has taken advantage. And the aforementioned injuries won’t be resolved overnight. So look forward to a lot of Valdez on Saturday as he vies for a 53-man roster spot.
“He looks crazy,” starting right guard Dominick Puni said. “He’s really built. He’s fast. He’s twitchy. He’s good off the ball. He gives us trouble in 1-on-1 pass situations because he’s really twitchy and he’s got good hands. Once he gets going, he’s going to be a problem. I think they got a good one with him.”
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WR Jordan Watkins: Brandon Aiyuk (knee) won’t be back anytime soon, and Jauan Jennings (calf) hasn’t practiced since late July. It doesn’t make much difference for Watkins, a fourth-round draft pick who has been flush with snaps in those absences.
With his 4.37 second speed in the 40-yard dash, Watkins has shown flashes of being a promising deep threat. Purdy and Jones have connected with him for big gains at their convenience this summer.
Niners rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins, a four-round draft pick, has the speed to make him a deep threat in the passing game.
Scott Strazzante/S.F. Chronicle
“We’ve had some really good connections,” Purdy said. “At the same time, I feel like there’s some room to grow. Both of us. Seeing how he moves and getting in and out of his route movements, sort of like what Ricky and I have done. But we’ll get there. I have faith in that.”
If Purdy does play Saturday, it won’t be for long. But the incoming preseason slate will nonetheless be a time for Watkins to display his readiness to contribute while a thinned wide receiver group gets sorted out.
K Jake Moody: He’s now the only kicker on the roster after a quick end to his battle with veteran Greg Joseph amid depth concerns at other positions. That decision has some 49ers fans upset, setting up unusually high stakes for a Saturday in early August.
Jake Moody no longer has competition on the 49ers’ roster, but coach Kyle Shanahan noted that kickers will always be competing with others who are on the free agent market.
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If Moody is perfect, his performance will likely be downplayed. It’s only a preseason game, after all. If Moody misses even one field goal, though, expect the pressure to be back on with a vengeance. After Joseph’s release, Shanahan noted that a kicker competition never truly ends. Moody can be replaced anytime. And that should be motivation enough, Shanahan reasoned.
“Whether you have one kicker in the building or two, which you rarely have two, kickers always know they’re competing with whoever’s out there,” Shanahan said.
