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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the Top-5 Training Camp Position Battles

By Peter Panacy

Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) and quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) warm up before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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August 17, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (3) runs with the football during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
August 17, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bruce Ellington (3) runs with the football during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: Wide Receiver

Likely Candidates for the Position: Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton, DeAndre Smelter, Jerome Simpson, Aaron Burbridge, Dres Anderson, Eric Rogers, DeAndrew White and Bryce Treggs

Yeah, there are quite a few names for the No. 2 wide receiver job as the Niners look for someone, anyone to complement top-starting wideout Torrey Smith in 2016.

What truly separates this competition from the aforementioned ones is, well, the 49ers don’t exactly have any proven answers we can generate at this point in training camp. It truly is a camp battle that is up for grabs, as Taylor Price of 49ers.com pointed out from a recent head coach Chip Kelly presser:

Kelly eluded to 30-year-old veteran receiver Jerome Simpson making some headway in the competition, and Niner Noise discussed that a bit earlier.

Other veterans — like former CFLer Eric Rogers, Quinton Patton and especially Bruce Ellington — may have a say in this competition though. But it’s equally possible one of the younger receiving targets — like rookie Aaron Burbridge, DeAndrew White, Dres Anderson or DiAndre Campbell — makes a run at the No. 2 job.

This position battle could be a wild one. And certainly a good chunk of the receiver crop will see its fair share of preseason snaps with first-team units to determine the winner.

But if we had to go with one guy as a favorite, let’s stick with Ellington.

Predicted Winner: Bruce Ellington

Next: No. 1: Quarterback