5 biggest concerns 49ers have through two weeks of 2021

No. 3: 49ers top rookies aren’t contributing much at all

Again, early reactions can easily turn into overreactions. And it’s far, far too soon to suggest the Niners’ top four picks in the 2021 NFL Draft aren’t panning out to desired expectations.

Through two weeks, however, there’s a lot left to be desired from the first four selections:

• QB Trey Lance: 1 game played, 1-of-1 passing, 1 touchdown
• OL Aaron Banks: 0 games played, inactive Weeks 1 and 2
• RB Trey Sermon: 1 game played, 1 rush attempt for 8 yards
• CB Ambry Thomas: 1 game played, 2 passes allowed on 2 attempts

We can give Lance a bit of a break here, as Kyle Shanahan has repeatedly stated he’ll bring along the No. 3 overall draft pick slowly. And there likely wasn’t an ideal situation to bring Lance into the Week 2 game against Philadelphia anyway.

As for the rest? Well, it’s been disappointing.

Banks has arguably struggled the most, not coming close to earning the starting right guard spot out of training camp before finding himself inactive the first two weeks of the season. Sermon, meanwhile, finds himself third in the pecking order behind fellow running backs Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty, although Sermon’s first NFL rushing attempt looked solid all the way up to the point when he was concussed at the tail end of the play.

Thomas, meanwhile, has been entirely outclassed by fellow rookie cornerback Deommdore Lenoir, the fifth-round pick.