49ers: 5 players hurt most by lack of OTAs, minicamps

These five 49ers players could potentially feel the effects of not having OTAs and minicamps amid virtual offseason programs.

In an ideal world, the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2020 offseason would have been like nearly every other offseason prior.

Yet 2020 has proven to be a little more than just “unusual,” of course, in light of COVID-19 and the worldwide pandemic which has left a sizable mark on not just the NFL as a whole, but the entirety of major sports across the globe.

Those initial effects were felt leading up to last April’s NFL Draft, as shelter-in-place orders prevented teams from working out prospects and conducting physicals. While the remote draft appeared to go off with few glitches, the subsequent lack of rookie minicamps and organized team activities, at least from an in-person vantage point, could create additional headaches and problems yet to be figured out.

Granted, the Niners and other teams have conducted virtual programs. But these can only go so far, especially considering the lack of team-wide on-field activities necessary to help players get their proverbial “football legs” back underneath them.

And it doesn’t help that the 49ers are the lone team not yet allowed to return to facilities either.

As far as those trickle-down effects for the players go, some will be hindered notably more than others. For the most part, the Niners were able to retain the core chunk of their roster carrying over from their Super Bowl-appearing 2019 roster, which is great. Yet a number of players could still end up suffering some kind of drawback, thanks to the restrictions on on-field practice time and integration.

Here are five who could suffer the most from no OTAs or offseason team workouts.