Niner Noise
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San Francisco 49ers: Training camp battles to watch at each position

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 02: Patrick Willis #52 works out during the San Francisco 49ers training camp at their training complex on August 2, 2010 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 02: Patrick Willis #52 works out during the San Francisco 49ers training camp at their training complex on August 2, 2010 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive linemen Keegan Render #69 and Ross Reynolds #59 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- NOVEMBER 23: Offensive linemen Keegan Render #69 and Ross Reynolds #59 of the Iowa Hawkeyes carry the Heroes Trophy off the field after their match-up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on November 23, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Offensive Line: Ross Reynolds vs. Erik Magnuson vs. Joshua Garnett

The 49ers have their starting cast of offensive linemen set entering 2019. Behind these five, however, there are more than a handful of question marks.

Depth, especially along the interior, could be problematic. But there are good chances we wind up seeing lively competition here, too.

One player to watch here is undrafted rookie Ross Reynolds out of Iowa, who earned his credentials as a solid run-blocking lineman at the collegiate level. Kyle Shanahan’s offensive linemen are build around the run, so Reynolds’ stock is already pretty high. Forget about him being a UDFA.

Reynolds will have a chance to unseat two players, Joshua Garnett and Erik Magnuson, on the depth chart this training camp.

Garnett, San Francisco’s first-round draftee from 2016, has been relegated to backup duties since last year and is on the fringes of the roster bubble. So is Magnuson, who flashed promise early in 2018, but eventually fell out of favor as the season wore on. Magnuson eventually found himself a regular member of the Niners’ weekly inactives.

A key backup guard position is Magnuson’s to take.