49ers training camp: 10 returning veterans on the hot seat

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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 24: Ronald Blair #98 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 24, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Defensive Tackle Ronald Blair

Then-rookie defensive tackle Ronald Blair flashed a good deal of promise back in 2016.

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But that was when San Francisco was employing a 3-4 alignment, and all the offseason changes could easily mean Blair is buried too deep on the team’s depth chart.

He’s a player without a position too, as his 6-foot-4, 270-pound frame is probably best suited for an interior pass-rusher in a 3-4 alignment, not the 4-3 the 49ers will run this season.

If the Niners hadn’t focused so heavily on their defensive front — drafting players like Solomon Thomas and D.J. Jones — while adding nose tackle Earl Mitchell, Blair’s chances to make the roster would be much more sound.

Instead, the only way Blair is able to crack the 53-man roster would be to show some versatility at a variety of positions, including rushing him off the edge.

This isn’t a bad idea, per se, and there also could be some trade value if San Francisco pursues that route.