The 49ers are going to be without Ray-Ray McCloud for about eight weeks, meaning these teammates of his can potentially benefit.
The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up the first of two days of joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, which precede both teams' preseason opener against each other on Sunday, Aug. 13 from Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
Unfortunately, the injury bug is already starting to take its toll.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters of a few notable injuries, including tight end George Kittle dealing with an adductor injury, while defenders Dre Greenlaw and Drake Jackson are handling hamstring injuries.
The biggest, though, was news that wide receiver and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud suffered a broken wrist and will miss approximately eight weeks.
Read more: Brock Purdy shouldn't play when Niners face Raiders on Sunday
McCloud was one of the core four wideouts who were effectively guaranteed to make San Francisco's 53-man roster along with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings. Assuming Shanahan keeps six active receivers, there'll likely be room for one more with McCloud likely heading to injured reserve after being named to the 53-man roster initially (to prevent him from being subjected to waivers).
That means another 49ers player will have to be cut and subjected to waivers but could be re-signed once the waiver period expires. It's a potential benefit for that particular player, assuming he wouldn't be re-signed if McCloud was healthy.
Here are three other Niners who benefit from McCloud's misfortune.
No. 3: 49ers WR Ronnie Bell
One of San Francisco's final picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, former Michigan wide receiver Ronnie Bell, impressed enough during rookie minicamp to suggest he might be able to carve out a niche role at the back end of the depth chart.
Mostly quiet in training camp, though, Bell is anything but a lock to make the 53-man roster, particularly with how deep the wide receiver position is.
That said, Bell did have 13 punt returns during his collegiate tenure, and that might bode well for increasing his roster chances with Ray-Ray McCloud out of service. Plus, it'd give the rookie a bit more field time if he ultimately winds up securing a return position.
While Bell probably won't see much of the field on offense, at least this would give him a significantly better shot at surviving pre-Week 1 roster cuts.
No. 2: 49ers WR Willie Snead
A few 49ers rookies will benefit from Ray-Ray McCloud's absence, but there are a handful of veterans, too.
Particularly older wide receivers like Chris Conley and Willie Snead, who are anything but locks to make the 53-man roster despite their experience and veteran status.
Snead, in particular, had bounced back and forth off the Niners' practice squad last season and has been an emergency return specialist in his career, previously. Turning 31 years old this season, Snead might only wind up being a stopgap fill-in for McCloud until the latter returns, subsequently resulting in Snead being released and subsequently re-signed back to the practice squad, assuming both parties are interested in that.
However, gameday checks for players are significantly better than those for practice squad players during the regular season, and Snead would surely love the former instead of the latter.
No. 1: 49ers DB D'Shawn Jamison
Undrafted free agents always face a tough road when it comes to making a 53-man roster in year one, and a lot has to go the right way for them to even stand a chance.
For former Texas defensive back D'Shawn Jamison, whom San Francisco signed not long after this year's NFL Draft, Ray-Ray McCloud's injury presents the perfect opportunity.
Unlike the previous two names, Jamison isn't competing for reps at wide receiver, and the 49ers' cornerback room isn't particularly deep behind the starting trio of Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir and Isaiah Oliver.
So, with some pretty extensive kick- and punt-return experience from his collegiate years, Jamison looks to be a potential go-to option to fill in for McCloud right away.
Like Ronnie Bell, it would also give Jamison some additional field time without subjecting him to too big a learning curve on defense. Unlike Bell, Jamison might be a lot closer to getting involved on defense but would need a ticket to the 53-man roster.
He might just have one now.