49ers training camp: 5 position battles that demand you watch
By Peter Panacy
49ers training camp kicks off this week, and to help preview it, we present five position battles you’ll want to monitor closely.
It’s about time 49ers training camp got here.
After their summer break in the wake of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, the Niners get back on the field again this week for camp, the two-week preparatory period that’ll lead into their first exhibition game of 2022 at home against the Green Bay Packers.
And eventually, Week 1’s road contest against the Chicago Bears.
There’s a lot to pan out and determine between now and then, of course, such as which players on San Francisco’s 90-man offseason roster will be good enough to survive cuts en route to composing the 53-man group to start the regular season.
A chief part of that will be determining the depth chart, which means there’ll be some spicy position battles to monitor over the course of 49ers training camp.
Let’s take a look at five position battles you won’t want to miss.
49ers training camp battle No. 5: Running back
On the surface, it might not seem like a crucial position battle, at least not after second-year pro running back Elijah Mitchell’s franchise-record-for-a-rookie 963 rush yards over 11 games last season.
However, it’s a crowded backfield with at least three tailbacks capable of starting.
Among those favorites, Mitchell is towards the top. Yet head coach Kyle Shanahan might opt to use bigger, stronger rushers like Jeff Wilson Jr. or even the 2022 rookie, Tyrion Davis-Price, to lead off his rushing attack before giving way to Mitchell.
Additionally, can fellow sophomore running back Trey Sermon emerge from the depths of a disappointing 2021 campaign? That’ll be a story to watch.
Not lost in the mix are depth runners like JaMycal Hasty and the undrafted rookie, Jordan Mason, who impressed during offseason workouts and is certainly a dark-horse option to make the 53-man roster.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has typically let his running backs determine their own roles during training camp, and the fluidity of this position means it should be awfully exciting to develop.