The San Francisco 49ers advanced to an impressive 4-0 start in their victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, placing them in an exclusive category. Through four weeks, the Niners stand as one of only three undefeated teams, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and surprisingly the Minnesota Vikings.
Nobody is surprised that a team with this level of talent has achieved a 4-0 start. What is surprising is that San Francisco has gotten there despite several injuries that should have derailed it in an instant.
Luckily the 49ers boast several talented rookies who have helped them along their way.
2 rookies cracked 49ers' starting lineup vs. Broncos
Romello Height and Gracen Halton both found spots on the starting roster, the only rookies to do so. Height participated in two combined tackles, while Halton assisted in three of his own, totaling five combined tackles on the day between the two of them. They've both earned meaningful snaps while on defense and they're both names to watch moving forward.
Kaelon Black started the season on a high, but has seemingly settled into his spot behind Christian McCaffrey. Black still ran the ball six times for 13 yards, but it pales in comparison to McCaffrey's 15 carries. But, just because Black isn't receiving as many carries doesn't mean he isn't contributing. It's difficult to accrue carries when you're lining up behind a healthy CMC, but with 31 carries on the year, Black could very well turn into a problem for opposing defenses.
Jaden Dugger also made an appearance during the game, but during his 15 defensive snaps and his 12 more on special teams, he didn't record a single statistic, and that's OK. Not every rookie will be able to make an impact every single game. By being where he's supposed to be, and answering when called, he'll earn his way into a higher percentage of snaps.
Carver Willis also spent a few snaps on special teams, but spent the rest of the game on the bench behind starting guard Connor Colby.
Ephesians Prysock, Enrique Cruz and James Thompson Jr were all inactive for the game.
After four weeks of the season, these rookies aren't just surviving, they're helping the Niners win.
That's not a rebuilding class, that's a reinforcing one.
Add us as a preferred source on Google