49ers preseason grades vs. Titans: Jordan Mason shines, run defense flops

There might not be a thing that matters less than whether a team wins or loses a preseason game. That is doubly true when the team is like the San Francisco 49ers, who played no more than a handful of starters to kick off their 2024 preseason campaign. Extrapolating trends or performances from backups who will rarely see the field is a surefire way to misinterpret how good a football team is.

That said, the preseason is not a completely meaningless experience. Players still play, stats still accumulate, and teams win or lose. For the many players fighting to make the Niners' regular-season roster, the preseason games are a chance to hit players on the other team and make a name for themselves.

Against the Tennesse Titans, the 49ers sat almost all of their starters, letting only their starting safeties and offensive line get action. They even sat their normal play-caller, as head coach Kyle Shanahan ceded offensive play-calling duties to an assistant, Klay Kubiak.

And, as to be expected, things were remarkably sloppy, with penalties, missed tackles, drops, and poor angles.

San Francisco made a late push to win the game, but early touchdowns from the Tennesse Titans resulted in a 17-13 loss to the home team.

There were lots of good and bad from the 49ers, but in all phases of the game, certain players flashed and pulled away from the competition, while others struggled.

Overall position grades do not seem to matter much here, so instead, we'll take a look at how some key position battles graded out from the first preseason game.

Offensive Position Battle Grades

Running Game: Jordan Mason vs. the Field for RB2

Jordan Mason has come on strong in training camp, and with Elijah Mitchell nursing an injury, Saturday's game against the Titans was an opportunity for Mason to cement his lead to become the primary backup to superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.

In his only drive of the game, Mason dominated. He ran the ball six times for 37 yards, plowing his way to the end zone for the 49ers' first touchdown of the game. But most importantly for Mason, he showcased some finesse and feel for reading the hole that was equally important to demonstrate as he matures as a player.

The only thing that Mason was unable to do was corral a high pass from Brandon Allen, but he played amazingly well.

The rest of the 49ers running backs were not as successful. Beyond Mitchell still dealing with an injury, the duo of Cody Schraeder and old friend Matt Breida combined for fewer yards than Mason on the first drive. Part of that came from the 49ers offensive line making a strong push against the Tennesse's first-team defense only for the backups to falter against Tennesse's second-team, but part of that was just in their performance.

It may be early, but it seems that Mason might have already wrapped this battle up.

Jordan Mason's Grade: A+/The Field: C-

Passing Game: Making Sense of the WR Competition

With Brandon Aiyuk still holding in, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings sitting, and both rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing hurt, the 49ers' deep reserves at receiver received ample opportunity to perform and try to fight for the final spots on the roster. Veterans such as Chris Conley took advantage of their brief time, but a few players who got extended runs were all over the table.

Fellow old friend Trent Taylor, part of the 49ers' inaugural draft class under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, was heavily involved in the new kickoff returns and the old punt returns but also was his old reliable self, getting open on third down and being sure-handed. Taylor may not have the athleticism to break many tackles, but he put forth a strong showing.

Tay Martin suffered a rather egregious drop early in the game but came on strong, finishing as the 49ers' leading receiver with 58 yards on five receptions. He showed a little bit of everything, but that drop will likely not go over well in the film room.

The big disappointment, out of the active players, would have to be Ronnie Bell, who did not make much of an impact in the return game, had a bad drop, and was caught on a holding penalty that killed a 49ers drive. Bell showcased a bit of skill last year as he came onto the season, even catching a touchdown against the New York Giants, but the former Michigan Wolverine is in a battle to make the roster and did not put forth a strong showing.

Conley, Taylor: B+/Martin: C+/Bell: D+

Defensive Position Tackle Grades

Run Defense: Kalia Davis vs. Ty McGill

The 49ers' run defense was porous, with a few phenomenal plays. The hope is that players who did not play, like free-agent acquisition Jordan Elliot, provide more backbone against the run. Against the Titans, rookie safety Malik Mustapha provided the most explosive highlight tackle, but Kalia Davis, a defensive tackle in his third year since being drafted, had a couple of explosive plays when he just blew up run plays by splitting the double-team. Davis also missed a couple of tackles, but his disruptiveness was important to see.

Ty McGill Jr. was disruptive as well, but not in a positive way. With two neutral-zone infractions, McGill's day was completely overshadowed by a couple of mental blunders.

In a fight to round out the 49ers' defensive line depth, Davis got the upper hand.

Davis's Grade: B/McGill's Grade: D+

Pass Defense: The Cornerback Depth

The presumptive top-three cornerbacks on the 49ers did not play against the Titans, leaving the rest of the deep cornerback room to battle it out for what may be only two or three roster spots.

Rookie Renardo Green flashed but also showed his lack of experience at times, but as a second-round pick, his roster spot is likely secured. With the rest of the competition at hand, former starter Ambry Thomas had a rough game again, missing a couple of tackles and committing a holding penalty. Rock Ya-Sin, on the other hand, had a phenomenal game.

With reports that Ambry Thomas suffered a break in his forearm, it is unlikely Thomas will have a place on the 49ers 53-man roster, either with a roster cut when healthy or by being moved to IR.

Ya-Sin's Grade: A-/Green's Grade: B/Thomas's Grade: F

Final Thoughts

The 49ers special teams had no major competitions, though they seemed to forget how to tackle returners. But a couple other players made major strides, both forward and backwards that did not fit these setups.

Rookie right guard Dominick Puni played extensive snaps for a preseason game and put together a strong performance, a good sign as he tries to win the starting spot. Linebacker Dee Winters was aggressive throughout, perhaps too much so at times, and seems to have a bead on the LB3 spot.

And Malik Mustapha's hit reverberated throughout the game:

The 49ers will not be able to make any decisions on these roster battles just yet, but some players made a major step forward for themselves.

Now they just need to keep it going into joint practices with the New Orleans Saints this week.

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