49ers: 4 players whose roster value took a hit in win vs. Raiders

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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Nsimba Webster (6) Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 4: 49ers WR Nsimba Webster

The 49ers receiving depth chart is pretty solid one through four, with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Mohammad Sanu, and Trent Sherfield.

The final two spots are a tossup, with all of Jalen Hurd, Jauan Jennings, Nsimba Webster, and Travis Benjamin trying to grab them.

What would have given Webster and Benjamin the leg up over a Jennings or Hurd, if things were close, is their ability in special teams to return kicks, a missing tool for a 49ers team that has been inept in that particular aspect of football. With Richie James waived, it is an opening that can give a bubble player a chance.

Webster wasn’t particularly effective in the air with only one target and no receptions, but the biggest ding to his roster value came from the play of other non-receivers, most notably cornerback Ambry Thomas and running back Elijah Mitchell.

Both Mitchell and Thomas took kick returns during the game, and both, particularly Mitchell, looked fluid and explosive there. Add on the fact that Thomas has played as a punt returner in college, and Webster’s primary claim to the roster has lost a lot of its legs.

This isn’t to say that Webster is a guaranteed cut, but his special-teams value has certainly decreased, and for a player who has had little to no value on offense and is seemingly only destined to impact the game on special teams, more secure options on the roster flashing are not a good sign.