San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players to Watch For in Training Camp

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Jun 8, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers guard Joshua Garnett (65) runs drills during minicamp at the San Francisco 49ers Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

Joshua Garnett

Garnett is the presumptive player to be the starting right guard in Week 1. The 49ers traded back into the first-round of the recent NFL draft to nab him at pick No. 28.

We all the know the train wreck which was Jordan Devey in 2015. Thankfully, he was released earlier in this offseason. He made the word “pathetic” to be capitalized for eternity.

Now we have a much better talent in Garnett. But he is a rookie. He has been sharing reps with Marcus Martin, Ian Silberman, Brandon Thomas and Andrew Tiller.

Garnett’s specialty is run blocking, and he is regarded as a “mauler” who plays with a nasty streak. This is an important trait to have in an O-line player. The 49ers O-line was as soft as butter last season.

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The right side of the O-line was just feeble in 2015, and Garnett was drafted to try and help this part of the line. What are realistic expectations for him in 2016? David Fucillo of Niners Nation gives us a good clue:

"He gets into the starting lineup at some point in training camp, likely no later than the second preseason game. He has his ups and downs as a rookie, looking better in run blocking than pass blocking. He does not earn an all-rookie nod, but we see bright spots that give us optimism."

He is spot on with this assessment. Garnett will have rookie pains (they all do) but he has talent which will come out with experience and confidence. His run-blocking ability is well above-average. He has similarities with former 49ers guard Mike Iupati, who was a dominant run blocker in the great 49ers O-line from 2011-13.

Garnett wasn’t able to participate in opening stages of the offseason program due to the NCAA’s archaic exam rules, but he has had several weeks now to absorb the game plan. He will be given every opportunity to compete for the starting RG job. He will be the RG eventually, if not by the start of preseason.

The 49ers can ill-afford to go with a lesser talented player when the key focus in 2016 is to run the football.

Next: San Francisco 49ers: 5 Bold Predictions for Training Camp

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.