49ers roster: 5 players who desperately need a great preseason

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The 49ers kick off their 2022 preseason campaign, which means these five players have to show some urgency if they want to stick on the 53-man roster.

It sure feels as if San Francisco 49ers training camp was over before it started, and now head coach Kyle Shanahan’s focus is on the 2022 preseason, which officially kicks off with a home contest on Friday, Aug. 12 against the Green Bay Packers.

Camp revealed a number of takeaways, both positive and negative. And while the two-plus weeks of practice won’t make up the entire body of evidence Shanahan needs to determine the 53-man roster, it’ll still carry a pretty sizable influence.

The preseason might be the last desperate chance for a number of players on the Niners roster, as the team looks to whittle the number down from the 90 players, currently, to the 53 who’ll comprise the Week 1 group.

If these five don’t have an exceptional three-game preseason run, they may easily find themselves off San Francisco’s roster when the regular season arrives.

No. 5: 49ers center Dohnovan West

It’s easy to root for undrafted free agents, but the reality is only a handful realistically have a shot at making the 53-man roster in year one.

Earlier this offseason, former Arizona State center Dohnovan West looked to be the steal in the immediate aftermath of the NFL Draft. West, after all, was a draftable player and could have easily been selected early on day three instead of going undrafted.

And the 49ers had a need, too, especially in the wake of Pro Bowler Alex Mack’s retirement.

However, West has been little more than an afterthought throughout training camp, regularly sticking with the third-string unit and not even offering up any sort of competition with the two strongest candidates to start at center, Daniel Brunskill and Jake Brendel.

While some may have thought West as a developmental candidate who’d serve as a reserve in year one, it’s looking more like he might not even make the 53-man roster unless he absolutely shines in the preseason.