Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers have sent out their unofficial depth chart ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. There are no surprises on offense. Jauan Jennings, fresh off returning to practice, is listed as a starter:
WR Jauan Jennings
LT Trent Williams
LG Ben Bartch
C Jake Brendel
RG Dominick Puni
RT Colton McKivitz
WR Ricky Pearsall
TE George Kittle
RB Christian McCaffrey
FB Kyle Juszczyk
QB Brock Purdy
Skyy Moore is listed as Pearsall’s backup, while Russell Gage is slotted behind Jennings. I think we can expect Marquez Valdes-Scantling to fill out the receiver room until Demarcus Robinson returns. That is, unless Kendrick Bourne changes his mind and accepts the Niners’ offer.
In Bourne’s case, it isn’t easy to guarantee him playing time with Robinson returning in under a month and Brandon Aiyuk soon to follow. It’d be understandable if he wanted to go elsewhere.
As for the 49ers defense, Mykel Williams is the only listed starter:
Edge Mykel Williams
DT Kalia Davis
DT Jordan Elliott
Edge Nick Bosa
SAM Luke Gifford
MIKE Fred Warner
WILL Dee Winters
CB Renardo Green
CB Deommodore Lenoir
Nickel Upton Stout
FS Jason Pinnock
SS Ji’Ayir Brown
We could go back and forth about Alfred Collins and C.J. West not being listed, but I imagine that, over the long haul, they’ll end up playing more than Davis and Elliott. Defensive line is one of, if not the most difficult, positions for rookies. Davis and Elliott have multiple years of experience. Just because you start, doesn’t mean you’ll finish, or play third downs, or on the critical drives that matter.
Collins improved dramatically in a matter of three preseason games. In Week 1, he looked more lost than effective. By Week 3, there were flashes of a player who looked like a top 50 pick. Let’s give Collins some grace after he was banged up for much of the offseason.
You might be thinking the same about safety. Ji’Ayir Brown, not Marques Sigle, is listed as the starter. Fans are overwhelmingly down on Brown. Will this matter in a month or so when Malk Mustapha returns? Maybe. But I believe Brown is playing just a touch faster than Sigle and provides more versatility.
Sigle has the leg up in tackling and outright athleticism, but Saleh runs a complicated scheme that asks a lot of its safeties. Coming out of college, I felt like Sigle’s primary flaw was in man coverage. Some might point to a big play Brown allowed in the preseason, but that was to Brock freaking Bowers, and Tig was in an ideal position to make a play. I believe Brown can make an impact in Saleh’s defense in a way that he never did under the two previous defensive coordinators. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see rotations at safety and multiple players playing.
Upton Stout gets the nod at nickel, despite missing much of August. That tells you how well he played and how quickly Stout was...
