San Francisco 49ers: 3 surprise starters on offense in 2020

While there are few spots up for grabs, the 49ers could end up with some surprise starters when Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season begins.

NFL starting lineups don’t mean much, especially for a team like the San Francisco 49ers who already boast a Super Bowl-caliber roster heading into the 2020 season.

Snap counts, being on the field in key situations and getting touches ultimately matter more than being out there for the opening snap of any game.

Although it is fun to consider players who own the starting asterisk by their names on a week-to-week basis.

For head coach Kyle Shanahan’s squad, there aren’t too many decisions to be made between now and what his starting Week 1 offense will look like. Shanahan will deploy a running back rotation again, likely kicking things off with the veteran, Tevin Coleman, while Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon see their snaps depending on the situation and who’s hot.

Quarterback is set with Jimmy Garoppolo under center, as is tight end with the All-Pro, George Kittle. And at least three-fifths of the Niners offensive line is in place, too, even after some notable changes up front during the offseason.

But there are still a few positions where the starting job isn’t quite determined, opening up the door for some surprise starters when Week 1 rolls around this September.

Could there be a shocking addition to the starting lineup from Shanahan when San Francisco kicks off its 2020 regular-season campaign against the Arizona Cardinals?

Perhaps.

And if there are some shocking and surprising additions to the starting lineup on offense, these three players would seem to be the likeliest of candidates to get that early asterisk on the stat sheet.