4 biggest concerns from 49ers preseason win vs. Raiders

No. 3: No one is separating from back end of 49ers wide receiver room

It might not be too big a deal once the regular season rolls around, as fourth-, fifth- and even sixth-string wide receivers rarely see the field on offense and are expected to contribute almost solely on special teams.

And while there’s been a little more clarity on the wide receiver depth chart in recent weeks, namely with the Niners waiving Richie James with an injury designation, it’s still awfully fluid who winds up making the final cut in advance of Week 1.

So far, three wideouts are all but guaranteed positions: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Sherfield. The veteran, Mohamed Sanu, looks to be in pretty good shape, too.

The last one or two spots? It’s anyone’s guess.

Jalen Hurd finally got into his second preseason game of his NFL career (his first being back in 2019 before suffering a season-ending back injury, then tearing his ACL in 2020). Yet Hurd, who missed San Francisco’s first two exhibition bouts, wasn’t overly impressive, hauling in four catches for 25 yards but dropping two more and looking noticeably sluggish and not explosive.

Second-year pro Jauan Jennings, who impressed in training camp, dropped a would-be touchdown grab, while Nsimba Webster wasn’t overly flashy in the return game after dazzling in Week 1 of the preseason.

Another veteran, Travis Benjamin, exited the game with a head injury.

So, who winds up rounding out the back end of the wide receiver depth chart? It’s anyone’s guess.