Niner Noise takes a look at the 49ers’ 2021 NFL Draft class and evaluates the stock level approaching the halfway point of the preseason.
The San Francisco 49ers are one game into a three-game preseason campaign, which affords some evidence for their 2021 NFL Draft class.
Going back to last April and May, the Niners brought home eight rookies, highlighted by the No. 3 overall selection of North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.
Lance saw plenty of action during San Francisco’s exhibition opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and will likely get even more when the 49ers visit the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 of the preseason.
And while that was clearly the main focus for the Niners’ draft class this year, the remaining rookies on the roster deserve some evaluation, too.
Niner Noise breaks down each one of San Francisco’s rookie draftees and determines whether or not their stock value is currently on the rise, falling or staying put after their first preseason game of the year.
49ers QB Trey Lance
It’s anyone’s guess whether or not Lance’s efforts against Kansas City will be enough to unset the incumbent starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, by the time the regular season rolls around. Judging by some comments from both head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, Garoppolo is still going to be the Week 1 starter.
But the fact Lance, who had just one full year as a starter at NDSU and attempted a mere 318 passes in college, is closing the gap much quicker than anyone likely anticipated is a great sign for the 49ers’ highest investment.
Lance went 5-of-14 in his NFL debut, tossing that 80-yard touchdown bomb to wide receiver Trent Sherfield while also being plagued by at least four drops from other targets. Yet he also took four sacks, struggled against the Chiefs’ blitzing packages and nearly tossed two interceptions.
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In terms of immediate-starting abilities, Lance’s efforts were a bit of a mixed bag.
The intangibles are there, however, and it’s certainly reasonable to assume the rookie will wind up starting much sooner than most originally thought.
49ers OL Aaron Banks
It was a little odd to see Pro Football Focus give the 49ers’ second-round pick from the 2021 draft, offensive guard Aaron Banks, a 0.0 pass-blocking grade from preseason Week 1.
Perhaps another example of why PFF’s evaluatory system is far from perfect.
That said, Banks has had his share of ups and downs leading up to his limited action at the beginning of the preseason, and suffering a shoulder injury midway through the game that’ll effectively cancel the rest of his exhibition efforts doesn’t help his maturation either.
Yet that’s only one part behind why Banks’ stock value is currently on the decline.
Fair enough, Banks was more of a power mover during his college days at Notre Dame. And while pass protection was his forte, it was generally understood he’d need time to acclimate to the zone-heavy offense employed by Kyle Shanahan.
Through much of organized team activities and training camp, Banks was still trying to make this adjustment, and there were few indications he was anywhere close to overtaking the veteran, Daniel Brunskill, at right guard.
In the wake of Banks’ injury, Brunskill has almost assured a starting spot, while Banks will begin his rookie year as a backup.
The Niners have to be hoping they don’t have another case of an underperforming, highly drafted offensive lineman, as they did with former 2016 first-rounder Joshua Garnett, on their hands.
49ers RB Trey Sermon
Third-round running back Trey Sermon’s stock immediately shot up during OTAs when the veteran, Raheem Mostert, was rested a lot in preparation for the regular season.
With Sermon getting plenty of work with the first-team unit, in conjunction with fellow veteran runner Jeff Wilson Jr. suffering a meniscus tear and now sidelined well into the regular season, the former Ohio State product is going to have a clear-cut role his rookie year without question.
Sermon got the start during San Francisco’s preseason opener with Mostert again resting and staying fresh. And while the former didn’t exactly put up eye-popping numbers — 26 rush yards on nine carries — it’s important to note Kyle Shanahan wasn’t exactly drawing up the complex and often-explosive run plays you’ll typically see during the regular season.
Again, why reveal those in an exhibition contest?
There’s a good chance Sermon winds up being the 49ers’ top-performing rookie this season, particularly if the Niners are patient with Trey Lance’s development in year one.
49ers CB Ambry Thomas
Some might think former Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas’ stock should be on the rise, particularly after he played well during the Niners’ exhibition opener and in light of Thomas opting out of his senior year because of the pandemic.
Fair argument there. According to Al Sacco of the 49ers Webzone No Huddle Podcast, citing Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, Thomas could have been a late first- or early second-round pick based on his 2019 game tape.
More according to Sacco, Thomas wasn’t receiving quite as much coaching during the latter stages of training camp, suggesting defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and Co. were pleasantly satisfied with where his development was at.
Thomas finished Week 1 of the preseason with five tackles and properly executed a press-man coverage against the Chiefs’ basic offensive formations. Not much to complain about, really, when taking a look at his total snaps during the game.
Based on this argument, Thomas is coming along just fine in his development and is probably right where he needs to be at this point: a solid reserve who’ll hopefully mature into a starting option a year from now.
49ers OL Jaylon Moore
If the Niners can turn their fifth-round NFL Draft pick, Western Michigan’s Jaylon Moore, into a quality offensive lineman, it might help make up for any long-term gaffe on Aaron Banks, should the latter fail to develop appropriately.
Moore, who was expected to compete for little more than a reserve lineman, preferably on the inside, actually ended up getting the start at left tackle against Kansas City in the wake of San Francisco electing to let veteran starting left tackle Trent Williams rest.
Interestingly enough, Moore ended up receiving 47 snaps during the game, second most behind only second-year pro Colton McKivitz (49).
And at least according to Pro Football Focus, Moore performed well, posting a respectable 60.5 overall grade during the game, which featured plenty of snaps against the Chiefs’ first-team defense over the bulk of the first quarter.
Not bad for a fifth-round pick. Not bad at all.
Moore is now squarely in the competition for the primary swing-tackle job this season, supporting players like Williams and right tackle Mike McGlinchey and potentially pushing out older veterans like Shon Coleman and Tom Compton.
49ers CB Deommodore Lenoir
Ambry Thomas’ stock level before Week 1 of the preseason essentially resulted in a push, but there were some notable concerns the 49ers’ other cornerback drafted, Oregon’s Deommodore Lenoir, wasn’t going to make anywhere near the same kind of impact.
Well, so much for that.
Lenoir actually got the start at left cornerback for the Niners, logging 48 total snaps, which ranked second most among all defensive players during the game.
This points to the notion San Francisco wanted to get the fifth-round pick some additional exposure and work, hoping Lenoir could hone his reaction skills while not regressing from his press-man abilities that made him a noteworthy defensive back within the Pac-12.
If there was one key moment where Lenoir made his mark, it was his interception off a late first-quarter pass from Chiefs backup quarterback Chad Henne.
Granted, Lenoir was essentially gifted the pick. But it was vital for him to be in the right position at the right time (he was), and the positive takeaway was him making plays for the defense when there were concerns earlier in training camp that he’d be a liability in year one.
Pro Football Focus awarded Lenoir a solid 79.6 game grade, and that’s an excellent way to show he’s on the ascent.
49ers S Talanoa Hufanga
It was pretty easy to get excited about the 49ers’ final pick from Round 5 of the draft, former USC safety Talanoa Hufanga, who had four interceptions and three sacks over just six games for the Trojans a year ago.
Yet there were concerns about Hufanga’s straight-line speed and whether or not he’d be able to keep up with NFL-level tight ends and running backs in the open field. These notions led many to conclude Hufanga might solely be an in-the-box safety and special teams contributor.
But that’s not what the game tape against the Chiefs revealed.
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DeMeco Ryans regularly put Hufanga into free safety mode, placing him atop the defense where he could make a physical impact on plays developing in front of him. And while there weren’t too many instances where Hufanga had to react deep down the field while in coverage, the rookie’s efforts resulted in four tackles, yet his presence on the field shouldn’t be understated.
Hufanga was already making plays in training camp, but his being able to produce as a high safety against another offense aside from that of the Niners helps increase his stock value at this point in the preseason.
49ers RB Elijah Mitchell
San Francisco’s final pick of the draft, Louisiana-Lafayette running back Elijah Mitchell, was a key player many were anticipating could have a great game against Kansas City.
Except Mitchell ended up being a late “scratch,” whatever the preseason equivalent of that is.
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After the game, Kyle Shanahan informed reporters Mitchell was dealing with a hip injury that was suffered just before the game and would eventually miss multiple weeks with the setback, also effectively ending his preseason and potentially jeopardizing his early placement on the regular-season roster.
By all accounts, Mitchell was having a fantastic training camp, flashing his 4.36 40-yard speed and ripping off chunk gains on the ground while also serving as a reliable pass-catching weapon.
Raheem Mostert and Trey Sermon are already guaranteed roster spots. The veteran, Wayne Gallman, also showed his value to Shanahan’s offense, while second-year pro JaMycal Hasty made the most of his chances against Kansas City with 10 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, albeit a fumble damaged Hasty’s chances a little bit.
The 49ers aren’t going to keep four running backs on their 53-man roster, so there’s a possibility this injury forces their hand in an attempt to stash Mitchell on an injury list by the time Week 1 rolls around.
Perhaps Mitchell already carved out a roster spot for himself in camp, but that’s not so certain a guarantee right now.