San Francisco 49ers: 5 Second-Year Players to Watch in Training Camp
By Peter Panacy
The 2016 San Francisco 49ers will be a young team, and much of that youth will focus on a number of second-year players fans should pay close attention to during offseason activities and training camp. Here are five worthy of note.
The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a roster overhaul, which has spanned the last year-plus and is incorporating the team’s actions in the 2015 and 2016 NFL Drafts, respectively.
Data from the 2016 drat is far too raw, and we realistically won’t have any information on those up-and-coming players until participation in camp. But it’s possible to gauge some of the 49ers’ second-year players and determine why they should be notable to watch during minicamps, OTAs and training camp.
Putting it simply, there’s a little more information in the books on these second-year guys.
Perhaps fans saw glimpses of talent during each player’s 2015 rookie campaign. Or, maybe, a change in coaching staff will be exactly what a player needed to thrive.
There are a plethora of reasons why a player should draw attention in this case. And as the 49ers approach their offseason workout sessions, we’ll begin to gather even more information on how these second-year guys are worth taking note.
The five-most notable sophomore 49ers are set by a simple, yet detailed criteria. It’s not totally necessary to break down every second-year pro even though, realistically, analysts and coaches should pay attention to all of them.
For this case, let’s base it on the following:
- A player must have been drafted/signed no earlier than 2015 (players redshirted in 2014 don’t count).
- Each second-year pro has to have a bona fide chance of either earning a starting job or immediate backup role.
- Such players must have been on the 49ers active roster at some point in the 2015 season.
There are a number of players who come close, or might meet, the aforementioned criteria but aren’t necessarily in consideration for the five-most notable to watch in camp.
Let’s get to those guys first.
Next: Worthy of Note