49ers: 5 players to watch during preseason game versus Broncos

Broncos vs. 49ers: 5 players to watch for San Francisco’s preseason matchup

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 20: Linebacker Dekoda Watson #57 of the Denver Broncos sacks quarterback Jeff Driskel #6 of the San Francisco 49ers during a preseason NFL game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 20, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – AUGUST 11: Quarterback Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by outside linebacker Aaron Lynch #59 of the San Francisco 49ers during the preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium on August 11, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

No. 3: EDGE Aaron Lynch

Edge rusher Aaron Lynch was another player having a strong showing versus the Chiefs, finishing with two sacks, two tackles for a loss and a pass batted down at the line of scrimmage.

After dealing with weight concerns earlier this offseason, all signs are pointing to the talented-yet-inconsistent pass-rusher being on track to solidifying his role within San Francisco’s defense.

The only question is whether or not he can keep it up.

Lynch primarily saw snaps versus second- and third-string units in Week 1 of the preseason, so one should assume he’d have success against these groups. Going up against starters could be a different story.

One should also assume the Niners place Lynch with the first-team group a bit more versus Denver this weekend in an attempt to see whether or not his solid Week 1 efforts can be effective against starting-caliber players.

If they are, San Francisco’s pass rush will end up looking a lot deeper than initially anticipated.