The San Francisco 49ers won't take the field again until late July, meaning there's all kinds of time for speculation and guessing.
For the most part, head coach Kyle Shanahan has his starters identified on both sides of the ball, and only a handful of first-team gigs are up for grabs. Of those, arguably the only one that'll stand out is who wins the starting left guard position. Could it be an offseason veteran free-agent pickup like Brent Jones, or will it fall to the recently drafted rookie, Carver Willis? Perhaps second-year pro Connor Colby would like a word.
Yet there are plenty of other position battles that'll take place later this summer and through the preseason. And while they won't get a lot of attention, given they're primarily comprised of reserves and depth players, the need for go-to backups is something Shanahan and Co. understand all too well in light of the Niners' historic rash of injuries over the years.
Fans may not get a ton of feedback on these underappreciated position battles, but we'll go ahead and preview them right here.
49ers' 5 biggest less-discussed position battles to watch at training camp
No. 1: Swing tackle
Key players in the mix: Vederian Lowe, Enrique Cruz Jr., Austen Pleasants
Supporting both starting tackles, Trent Williams and Colton McKivitz, will be a crucial need this season, especially in light of the fact Williams has typically missed at least a week or two per season over his San Francisco tenure and will turn age 38 this offseason.
The 49ers inked Vederian Lowe as a free agent, banking on his adequate swing-tackle duties during his previous career with the New England Patriots, but rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. would love nothing more than to challenge Lowe for a primary reserve spot right away.
No. 2: Starting free safety
Key players in the mix: Ji'Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Ashtyn Davis
Not long ago, this might've been an interesting position battle, primarily between Ji'Ayir Brown and Marques Sigle with the latter looking to finally cement his role after losing an early bid to start a year ago during his rookie campaign.
But the addition of veteran Ashtyn Davis changes all that, and he could be poised to demote Sigle to the bottom end of the depth chart while ensuring Brown stays in more of a big-nickel role.
No. 3: 3rd-string quarterback
Key players in the mix: Kurtis Rourke, Adrian Martinez
The Niners hope they never have to turn to a third-string quarterback this season, because that would mean something bad happened with both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.
If they did, trust suddenly falls into the lap of either Adrian Martinez or Kurtis Rourke.
Martinez hung around with San Francisco in this role a year ago, while Rourke redshirted his rookie season after suffering a collegiate ACL tear.
While less important at the moment, the development of either third-stringer into a competent signal-caller could ultimately help the 49ers decide what to do with Jones, who'll be a free agent in 2027.
No. 4: 5th- and 6th-string wide receivers
Key players in the mix: Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Junior Bergen
After some substantial overhauls this offseason, the Niners have revamped the upper end of their wide receiver room with Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling coming aboard, and they'll be joined by third-year pro Ricky Pearsall to seize the top four spots.
That effectively leaves two more remaining for plenty of candidates.
Robinson's veteran savvy could give him an edge, but he was mostly a non-factor a year ago and could be the odd man out, especially if both Cowing and Watkins take substantial leaps.
Bergen, meanwhile, has to hope his electrifying return game comes over from his college years, because he won't have any other serious means to crack the roster.
No. 5: Strong-side linebacker
Key players in the mix: Nick Martin, Jaden Dugger
San Francisco's defense has historically stayed in nickel formations, and while coordinator Raheem Morris will infuse some wrinkles and changes, the bulk of snaps are still likely to include only two linebackers on any given play.
That said, a third backer will be crucial, and the 49ers made some changes here, too, by adding Jaden Dugger via the draft last April.
This strong-side linebacker will be more of a walk-down type in Morris' five-man fronts, potentially rushing the passer and setting the edge. Nick Martin, who flamed out early a year ago when he was a rookie, could get a second lease on his 49ers career in such a role, but it's worth noting Morris inherited Martin but effectively helped choose Dugger.
If Dugger wins, Martin could be off the roster in short order.
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