49ers roster: 4 low-profile, still-important training camp battles to watch

They might not get the hype as others, but these 49ers training camp battles flying under the radar in 2022 are still going to be vitally important.

It’s probably easy to hone in on which training camp battles are going to be the juiciest for the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the upcoming 2022 season.

The defensive line is deep, and there are going to be some notable names not making the 53-man roster. The Niners completely restocked their cornerback room during the offseason, too, making that particular camp battle one of extreme interest. Especially considering how big a weakness that position was a year ago.

And even though quarterback Trey Lance appears cemented as the starter, the battle for his primary backup job will draw plenty of attention.

Aside from the specialists on special teams, however, there’s going to be competition at every position where at least two players are competing for one spot.

That leaves plenty of under-the-radar battles to watch, and we break down four of them that are still notably important for San Francisco ahead of the regular-season kickoff.

Under-the-radar 49ers training camp battle No. 4: Swing tackle

Players in the mix: Justin Skule, Jaylon Moore, Colton McKivitz, Nick Zakelj

The 49ers needed their swing tackle in a big way last season in the wake of starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey missing the second half of the year with a torn quad.

Veteran Tom Compton eventually won this job out over the other options the Niners had, but he’s gone now, joining the Denver Broncos in free agency, which leaves a fairly open-ended question as to who will back up both McGlinchey and left tackle Trent Williams this upcoming season.

For most of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, the primary fill-in for McGlinchey (who’s still recovering but expected to be back for training camp) was Justin Skule, yet there are plenty of other names in the hat to watch.

Both Colton McKivitz and Jaylon Moore were brought in by San Francisco in previous draft classes to play guard, yet collegiate experience at tackle suggests they can compete here, too, while a 2022 rookie, Nick Zakelj, also fits into the same category.

Any one particular name might not be too inspiring, but at least the 49ers have a lot of options from which to choose.

Nevertheless, they hope not to need any reserve swing tackle at any meaningful portion of the regular season, provided both McGlinchey and Williams stay healthy.