49ers: 5 players who are facing their last chance in training camp

With the 49ers kicking off 2021 training camp later this month, these five players are facing their last opportunity to hang around.

In some ways, training camp can be more exciting an evaluatory time than the regular season. Position battles are intriguing, some players can do everything in their power to hang around, only to see themselves cut because of the numbers game. Other depth players seemingly come out of nowhere and become surprise dark-horse additions to the 53-man roster.

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t going to have any shortage of these kinds of training camp storylines as they prepare for the upcoming 2021 campaign.

Amid all those stories is the reality some players aren’t just playing for their immediate Niners futures, but also for their careers within the NFL.

Pro football dreams can evaporate awfully quickly, and there are also a number of San Francisco players who’ll essentially be on their last chance when camp kicks off in late July.

Particularly these five.

No. 5: 49ers Offensive Tackle Shon Coleman

It would be understandable if you forgot 29-year-old offensive tackle Shon Coleman was on the 49ers. And it would be totally forgivable if you forgot he’s been with the team since 2018 when he was acquired via a trade with the Cleveland Browns.

The Niners didn’t need Coleman to see the field that year, as their offensive line stayed healthy. Then, a serious ankle fracture ended Coleman’s 2019 campaign in training camp before he opted out in 2020 because of the pandemic.

That means Coleman hasn’t seen a regular-season game since 2017. That’s a long time.

With San Francisco drafting two offensive linemen this year, Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore, the depth behind tackles Mike McGlinchey and Trent Williams is notable. Moore will be in the mix, as well as a player Banks could potentially replace among the starters, Daniel Brunskill.

Tack on others like Colton McKivitz and Senio Kelemete, and one can see how Coleman will have to do a lot to stand out as the 49ers’ primary swing tackle.

If Coleman doesn’t beat out at least two of those names during camp, it’s likely he’ll be on the outside of the roster. Considering Coleman hasn’t played a regular-season game in over three years, that’s awfully problematic for his NFL future, too.