San Francisco 49ers: 5 Things To Look For in Training Camp

Who Will Be the Wide Receivers?

Additionally on who the clear cut quarterback is, there are important questions on who plays at wide receiver.

Torrey Smith is already penciled in as the No. 1 guy, but who plays opposite him, who plays the slot and who plays in the three- and four-man sets are also vital.

The 49ers have a bevy of options at the position, all of who are young. The players with the most experience are Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington and Jerome Simpson. There are also unproven options in DeAndre Smelter, DeAndrew White, Dres Anderson, DiAndre Campbell, Devon Cajuste, Eric Rogers, Bryce Treggs and Aaron Burbridge.

It would be fantastic if the 49ers could carry 12 wideouts, but alas they cannot. If we take clues from the OTAs and minicamp, it would seem Ellington would be the No. 1 candidate for the slot and a battle between Rogers and Smelter for the No. 2.

Patton struggled during minicamp with drops and concentration issues. He did a decent job of kicking himself off the final roster, though he didn’t quite stoop to this level. However, a poor training camp could easily put him firmly on the roster bubble.

Rogers closely matches the physical characteristics of former No. 1 receiver Anquan Boldin, with a big body and strong hands. He also has the professional experience of playing in Canada, so it would be a major upset to see him not make the final team.

The rest of the young guys will battle it out in camp to see who makes the 53-man roster. Whoever runs the cleanest routes, drops the fewest balls and shows the best understanding of the offensive schemes will likely be the final five or so receivers on the team.

They will also benefit by play-calling which calls for the ball to be thrown down the field on a much more regular basis.

This group will be a fun battle to watch.

Next: How does the offensive line shape up?