October 2, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers' plans for the season are gearing up with the first week of OTAs complete, and here we rank their most important position battles.
The San Francisco 49ers roster has undergone an extensive overhaul this offseason and, as such, the team that lines up for the Week 1 clash with the Carolina Panthers will have a very different look to the one that crushed the Rams in last year's season opener.
But we are a long way from knowing who will be the starter at every position, with several key battles set to take place in training camp and preseason.
Here we rank the position battles that will have the biggest bearing on how the 49ers perform in 2017.
January 1, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (17) during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 25-23. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
5. Wide Receiver
Pierre Garcon is the presumptive No. 1 receiver for the 49ers but who lines up across from him is yet to be determined. The 49ers brought in a number of receivers in the offseason, but none of Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson or Trent Taylor fit the mould of starters.
Goodwin is more of a boom-or-bust deep threat while Robinson and Taylor figure to compete for slot playing time with Jeremy Kerley and Bruce Ellington.
But the 49ers need a viable option on the outside beyond Garcon. DeAndre Smelter has the size and frame at 6-2 and 227 pounds and came into the 2015 draft drawing praise for his physicality, ability in the air and talent after the catch.
Injuries have prevented Smelter from showing any of that off in the pros, yet the 49ers need him or one of their litany of other pass-catchers to emerge as a potential starter if their passing attack is to experience a speedy and significant upturn in fortunes.
San Francisco 49ers
November 20, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
4. Tight End
There is an argument that the fight for spots on the running back depth chart is the one to watch this offseason.
However, whichever way the tailback group shakes out this offseason, the 49ers should be able to enjoy some success on the ground with a starter who has consistently impressed when healthy in Carlos Hyde, an experienced backup in Tim Hightower and two rookies, Joe Williams and Matt Breida, who appear capable of competing for significant playing time right away.
More from NFL Spin Zone
That is not the case at tight end, where the 49ers have a logjam of players but few who can be considered sure things to make a significant and consistent impact.
Vance McDonald enjoyed his best season — 391 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games — in 2016, but his career has been blighted by drops and the 49ers acknowledged they had looked in to trading him in the offseason. Celek had just 350 yards and three scores in five more games while Blake Bell recorded just four catches on nine targets.
It is tough to envisage the 49ers wanting to rely on any of that trio and, with free agent signing Logan Paulsen having primarily served as a blocking tight end in his career, rookies George Kittle and Cole Hikutuni could catapult themselves into the conversation.
Though fullback Kyle Juszczyk is set to be a big part of the offense — KNBR's Kevin Jones believes he could be in line for 50 to 60 catches — the 49ers need difference-making tight ends to add another dimension with the wideouts appearing somewhat limited in their abilities.
Celek and Bell have rarely appeared capable of providing that extra dimension and, though rookie tight ends generally struggle in their first year, San Francisco may be better served if at least one of Kittle and Hikutini claims a spot on the depth chart.
Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) celebrates after the 49ers recovered an onside kick during the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
3. Linebacker
Last season injuries impacted the 49ers' linebacker depth so much that special teamer Nick Bellore ended up starting for much of the season, with predictably dreadful results. That should not be the case this year, with NaVorro Bowman back after tearing his Achilles last season and the 49ers having added Malcolm Smith in free agency and Reuben Foster in the draft.
Ahmad Brooks led the 49ers in sacks for the second successive season in 2016 and has received first-team snaps at the SAM linebacker spot in OTAs. He, Eli Harold and Ray-Ray Armstrong are also in the equation at linebacker.
Such is the depth at the position, that Kyle Shanahan recently said the 49ers are going to have a good linebacker on the sideline this season, with Bowman — per Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle — adamant it will not be him.
49ers LB Navorro Bowman is reportedly back at full speed after a 2016 Achilles injury.
When healthy, he's been a top run-stopper. pic.twitter.com/2kiTQYaea8
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 26, 2017
Shanahan does not believe Bowman looks like a player coming off injury, but San Francisco will need all its linebackers to be able to excel in all three facets — run defense, coverage and blitzing — if Robert Saleh's defense is to succeed in 2017.
Coverage was an area in which Bowman and Smith had their difficulties last season and it would be wrong for the 49ers to show too much loyalty to any player regardless of their previous experience.
Whichever three players make up the starters in 2017, the 49ers will be better at linebacker this year. However, having seen the likes of Bellore and Michael Wilhoite labour at the position in recent times, it is imperative the trio that win the battle to start have the athletic ability to contribute across the board.
49ers
Oct 16, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Joe Staley (74) blocks Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes (55) during the game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
2. Offensive Line
The 49ers have far more depth on the offensive line than they have had in some time. Having added players at every position in the offseason, competition for places figures to be heavy except at left tackle, where Joe Staley remains the unquestioned starter.
At OTAs, per Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee, Joshua Garnett and Brandon Fusco both received first-team snaps at right guard, with the same happening at center with Jeremy Zuttah and Daniel Kilgore and at right tackle with Trent Brown and Gary Gilliam.
San Francisco needs to find a five-man starting combination that best fits Kyle Shanahan's zone-blocking system — which relies on mobile linemen who can get to the second level in the run game — and can do a significantly better job of holding up in pass protection.
The Niners ranked No. 30 in pass-blocking in 2016, per Football Outsiders, giving up 47 sacks. Identifying a starting group that can avoid a similarly poor season in 2017 will be pivotal to how San Francisco's offense performs.
December 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Rashard Robinson (33) following the 22-21 victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
1. Cornerback
There is no doubting the talent on the back end of the 49ers defense, but while it would be wrong to call them thin at the cornerback position, it is an area where they are young. Second-year cornerback Rashard Robinson is the corner with the most starts on the roster following Tramaine Brock's release and, with Jimmie Ward moving to safety, San Francisco looks set to field two inexperienced corners as starters.
Rookie Ahkello Witherspoon, Dontae Johnson and Keith Reaser are all contenders to start along with Robinson and, per Niners Nation, it is the latter who appears the front-runner so far in OTAs. Reaser took the bulk of the first-team snaps ahead of Johnson, with Witherspoon limited to second-team snaps. Fourth-year player Reaser relies more on his speed whereas length is the main asset of Robinson, Johnson and Witherspoon.
Whether Reaser remains the starter throughout the buildup to the new season remains to be seen, but the 49ers need to be especially confident in the player that wins the job due to their inability to generate pass rush in recent times.
San Francisco will hope DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas and Arik Armstead can increase the amount of disruption caused by the defense but the fact is this is a team that had just 33 sacks last season and waited until the sixth round of the draft to an edge rusher.
If the 49ers cannot create pressure, then that will add to the burden on the corners on the outside to perform. Corner is one of the most important positions in football and, with the Niners having struggled to get to the quarterback, no position battle on the team deserves greater focus than this one.
