San Francisco 49ers: Predicting Post-OTA Starting Lineups

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Dec 20, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) runs after the catch during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 24-14. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /

Wide Receivers

Well, Torrey Smith is starter number one, lining up as the right wide receiver. So, that’s one position set, at least.

The other starting wide receiver position is a mess, with everyone underperforming. Bruce Ellington was the first name off of everyone’s lips after the first few OTA sessions, but he suffered through a few drops in the last couple days. He seems a good bet to be the starting slot receiver, though—not only has he consistently been playing with the first team there, but he’s also been praised by everyone from Chip Kelly to Torrey Smith to Antoine Bethea during the offseason program. He’s not really competing for one of the outside spots because of his size, but Kelly uses three receivers a lot, so it’s essentially a starting role.

Quinton Patton remains in the driver’s seat for the left wide receiver role, receiving essentially all the starting work there during OTAs. He hasn’t shown a great deal so far from all reports, dropping passes and notably receiving less praise than others, but his experience currently has him in the lead in a wide-open battle.

The next three off the bench in OTAs have been Dres Anderson, Jerome Simpson and DeAndrew White. Players like CFL star Eric Rogers, rookie Aaron Burbridge or ACL-redshirt DeAndre Smelter will have to wait for training camp to get a real look.

Next: Tight Ends