49ers training camp: 5 players who aren’t helping their roster chances at all

The 49ers have completed one week of training camp, yet these five players would probably like to have a do-over in light of their struggles.

The first week of San Francisco 49ers training camp revealed a number of positive standouts, mainly on the defensive side of the ball in light of the commonplace fact defenses typically start off hotter than offenses for the majority of teams.

There have been some players who have struggled, too, but the overarching theme of camp is to help determine the best 53-man roster possible out of the 90 players, or so, currently on the Niners’ offseason roster.

That means competition, a lot of it between now and roster cuts towards the end of the preseason.

So, while there have been a lot of winners already with one week of training camp in the books, there have been some clear-cut losers, too, and these five have certainly put their respective roster spots in jeopardy.

49ers training camp loser No. 5: Cornerback Ambry Thomas

San Francisco’s secondary has been other-worldly so far in camp, especially cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley, who seem to make impact plays every day.

Those two have already pushed second-year corner Ambry Thomas down the depth chart, but Thomas has done himself too many favors to secure what’ll likely be, at the maximum, a backup role this season.

Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn hasn’t been bullish of Thomas in camp at all, and Thomas has regularly shown up on the wrong side of Cohn’s daily practice recaps. And while the 2021 third-round draft pick recorded an interception off quarterback Nate Sudfeld on day three of camp, the majority of Thomas’ work hasn’t been too inspiring.

If anything, fellow 2021 rookie corner Deommodore Lenoir has played with a far greater sense of urgency, as Cohn pointed out:

"[Lenoir] broke up two passes and gave up only one catch. Through three days of camp, Lenoir has been the 49ers’ best backup corner — much better than Thomas."

Entering camp, and in light of the 49ers signing Ward and re-signing Jason Verrett (still out with injury), Lenoir was the one who seemed mostly on the bubble, not Thomas. Yet the first week of camp has seemingly reversed the roles in the opposite direction.

49ers training camp loser No. 4: Offensive lineman Justin Skule

In fairness to fourth-year pro offensive lineman Justin Skule, he might be a bit rusty after tearing his ACL a year ago last offseason and only getting back on the field again for offseason workouts during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.

Earlier this spring, the Niners appeared to want Skule to win the swing-tackle role behind starters Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey, as Skule worked with both first- and second-team units during those sessions.

However, in camp, Skule appears to be falling behind in what’s a provocative battle to round out the depth chart.

Considering few of the other fill-in linemen on San Francisco’s roster have looked great going up against first- and second-string defenders, Skule not setting himself apart from the rest of the back is a bad, bad thing.

The 49ers also started rookie lineman Spencer Burford at right guard later in the week, suggesting Skule isn’t a candidate to start there either. And with fellow backups like Jaylon Moore and Colton McKivitz receiving more time as immediate replacements for both Williams and McGlinchey, it’s appearing as if Skule is trending in the wrong direction.

49ers training camp loser No. 3: Running back Jeff Wilson Jr.

While the Niners offense has gotten off to a slow start in training camp, this side of the ball has had some notable standouts, including rookie running back Tyrion Davis-Price, who has shown a knack for picking up those tough yards despite initial contact.

In tandem with second-year pros Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon, Davis-Price is likely to be a key part of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s rotation on the ground, although it’s unclear how Shanahan will round out the depth chart by the time the regular season arrives.

This isn’t necessarily great news for veteran tailback Jeff Wilson Jr., who has been underappreciated in previous years but also hasn’t exactly enjoyed a strong start to training camp.

Yes, Wilson has had a handful of decent carries in practice, but he also hasn’t looked anywhere as imposing as he once was before tearing his meniscus a year ago. On top of that, his role as a physical runner could be overtaken by Davis-Price, too.

Wilson was also jarred by safety Jimmie Ward on a would-be reception from quarterback Trey Lance out in the flat on day four of practice, which won’t improve his stock value.

According to Over the Cap, Wilson is due $530,000 in guaranteed money, which is a lot to absorb if he’s cut, yet the veteran certainly isn’t doing anything yet to ensure he’ll hang around for any other reason than finances.

49ers training camp loser No. 2: Offensive lineman Jason Poe

Granted, we’re talking about a small-school undrafted rookie here in former Mercer offensive lineman Jason Poe, with whom San Francisco met prior to the NFL Draft earlier this spring.

So, it shouldn’t be a total surprise Poe isn’t quite standing out for the right reasons in training camp.

However, it’s the rawness that’s appearing to be the primary concern point, as Grant Cohn pointed out after day four:

"[Poe] can’t block, which is a problem for an offensive lineman. Also can’t seem to time the snap count as he committed a false start today. You can tell he’s a defensive lineman who’s transitioning to a new position."

There were understandable thoughts Poe could emerge as one of those UDFA gems the 49ers always seem to discover on a year-to-year basis, possibly developing into a quality backup his rookie season and potentially transitioning into a starter’s role with some further polish.

So far, however, Poe is doing almost nothing to show he can be an answer to the compounding Niners offensive line issues experienced over the first week of training camp, and it wouldn’t be a total shocker if San Francisco simply cut its losses with him when roster cuts are announced later this summer.

49ers training camp loser No. 1: Quarterback Brock Purdy

If anything, all three of the 49ers quarterbacks have had issues in training camp, Trey Lance understandably receiving the bulk of attention when things have been rough.

True, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld arguably has had a rougher go of things despite a solid start to camp. On the fourth day of camp practices, Sudfeld tossed three interceptions and marked his worst day under center while working with the second-string unit.

So, why isn’t Sudfeld a clear-cut loser here in danger of losing a roster spot?

Well, it’s pretty simple. He’s got a fully guaranteed $2 million contract for 2022. Sudfeld could toss 15 more interceptions between now and Week 1 and would still make the roster as Lance’s backup.

The bigger problem, at least in terms of quarterback cuts, is rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy hasn’t seized the opportunity to outperform Sudfeld.

The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, who also threw two interceptions in a practice session, hasn’t displayed any arm strength whatsoever that’d make him a viable alternative to Sudfeld. And in light of the latter’s contract numbers, Purdy would have to be running away in the backup competition by a long shot to merely earn consideration for the No. 2 job.

Instead, it’s looking like Purdy’s ceiling this year with the Niners will be nothing higher than landing on the practice squad, if he even makes that.