San Francisco 49ers: 5 Second-Year Players to Watch in Training Camp

Offensive Tackle Trenton Brown

The 49ers made some moves in the 2016 NFL Draft in order to shore up their offensive line. Two late-round additions, tackles John Theus and Fahn Cooper, will be in competition for the starting right tackle spot along with up-and-coming tackle Trent Brown and veteran offensive lineman Erik Pears.

For what it’s worth, let’s assume retired right tackle Anthony Davis won’t be a part of the picture until, well, he is.

Brown ended up playing in six games his rookie season — starting two of them at the tail end of 2015. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave him a minus-3.3 overall mark, which isn’t horrible considering Pears’ grade was minus-30.7.

Is Brown raw? Yes. Does he have potential? Absolutely.

And, most importantly, will the added competition push Brown to be an even better player this year? One can only hope so.

At least Brown has plenty of confidence in himself:

Brown could easily win the starting job in 2016, while the remaining cast of tackles will be competing for a swing-tackle role. But this isn’t guaranteed, so keep an eye on which unit Brown plays with during camp.

Next: S Jaquiski Tartt