49ers: 5 players who needed 2020 preseason to make 53-man roster

Jason Verrett #27 of the San Francisco 49ers defends Artie Burns #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Jason Verrett #27 of the San Francisco 49ers defends Artie Burns #25 of the Pittsburgh Steelers (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Jason Verrett, Los Angeles Chargers
Cornerback Jason Verrett #22 of the San Diego Chargers (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

No. 3: 49ers cornerback Jason Verrett

Another injury-plagued player affected by the absence of a preseason is veteran cornerback Jason Verrett, who has played in a mere six regular-season games since the start of 2016.

Verrett’s lone appearance last season resulted in two defensive snaps, which included both a pass-interference call and touchdown allowed against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. It was pretty clear Verrett wasn’t 100 percent after suffering a torn Achilles in 2018, and San Francisco subsequently placed him on season-ending injured reserve shortly thereafter.

Hopefully healthy, Verrett needed the preseason to get his proverbial “football legs” back underneath him. As is the case with Tim Harris, those crucial in-game situations were essential to Verrett finding any sort of bounce-back results in 2020.

The 49ers still have cornerback depth questions this season. Yet Verrett needed to prove he was fully recovered in real-time scenarios against varying competition.

Not having exhibition opportunities could easily bump him off the roster between now and Week 1.