San Francisco 49ers: 10 Roster-Bubble Players to Watch in Training Camp

The San Francisco 49ers have more than a handful of positions up for grabs entering 2016, which puts an even greater emphasis on bubble-watch players during training camp. Let’s break down 10 guys worth watching as the NFL regular season draws near.

The 2016 San Francisco 49ers are nothing like the Niners teams that dominated the NFL between 2011 and 2013.

During the reign of former head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers had only a handful of open spots for which bubble-watch players could compete. Unless guys were proven starters, or viable backup options, there was a good chance the remainder would be left off the 53-man roster by the start of the regular season.

Such is not the case with head coach Chip Kelly and his current group of Niners.

The 49ers’ 90-man roster is anything but proven. It’s a young group, and San Francisco has more than a few questions to answer at positions across the board.

All this opens up the door for some pretty good competition during training camp and the preseason. Pick a position and, chances are, there’s some sort of competition going on there.

But let’s focus on those players on the fringes of making the roster.

We’ve been doing this for most of the offseason already, but a few days’ worth of training camp have given us a little more ammunition to make assessments.

Which players are rising or, in some cases, find themselves beneficiaries of otherwise unfortunate circumstances (i.e. the season-ending injury to nose tackle Ian Williams)?

With no further delay, here are 10 roster-bubble players worth watching during camp.

Next: No. 10: Cornerback Keith Reaser