49ers vs. Raiders: 5 players who desperately need strong preseason Week 3

These five 49ers players are on the brink of losing a roster spot if they don't have an exceptional preseason finale against the Raiders.

The San Francisco 49ers wrap up their 2024 preseason campaign on Friday in a road bout against the Las Vegas Raiders, which affords head coach Kyle Shanahan the opportunity to not only get the bulk of his squad a final tune-up before the regular season but also to evaluate the fringe portions of what'll eventually turn into the opening 53-man roster.

For the most part, every starting job has been accounted for, and even most of the depth spots are fairly easy to figure out.

There are, however, about five or six openings on the 53-man roster that appear to be completely up for grabs.

There are plenty of long shots on the Niners' current 90-man preseason roster, names who are almost guaranteed to be part of Shanahan's pre-Week 1 roster cuts. Even a strong exhibition finale from those types probably won't do much good.

But, for those on the fringes with a solid-but-not guaranteed chance of making the cut, Friday night's showdown in Vegas could mean everything.

Particularly for these five squarely on the bubble.

No. 1: Linebacker Curtis Robinson

Linebacker might be the deepest position group San Francisco has heading toward the regular season, and there are more than a few names vying for the last of arguably six spots on the 53-man roster: Tatum Bethune, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Dee Winters, Jalen Graham and Curtis Robinson.

Robinson, in particular, has primarily been a practice squad call-up the last two years but has excelled this preseason, perhaps serving as the 49ers' most reliable backer with names like Fred Warner not suiting up to date.

Bethune, the rookie, has been an upstart. But the Niners may opt to prioritize experience over promise, giving Robinson a chance to finally cement a yearlong regular-season roster spot.

No. 2: Offensive lineman Nick Zakelj

Over the last two years, it's been something of a shocker to see offensive lineman Nick Zakelj make the 53-man roster despite some notable training camp struggles.

With a new influx of linemen, including rookies Dominick Puni and Jarrett Kingston, Zakelj's hold on a job is a bit more precarious. That said, San Francisco has given the latter starts in each of its first two preseason games, and Zakelj has seen early snaps at both center and guard.

Puni is now poised to start at right guard, while incumbent lineman Spencer Burford appears to be a go-to interior backup.

Zakelj and Kingston are arguably competing for one final spot on the depth chart, and the former should have an edge if he plays well Friday night.

No. 3: Wide receiver Trent Taylor

It made sense for the 49ers to bring back veteran wide receiver and return specialist Trent Taylor during the offseason, namely after the free-agent departure of wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, who was the primary return specialist the last two years.

While Taylor has been something of a go-to offensive target the first two weeks of preseason action, he hasn't exactly moved the needle, hauling in five catches for 60 yards.

Plus, of note, the Niners have been giving plenty of other chances to other return candidates, including rookie running back Cody Schrader, who appears to have a better shot at a roster spot than Taylor at this point.

San Francisco's wide receiver room is deep, especially if the contract situation with Brandon Aiyuk is resolved before Week 1, meaning Taylor would have to clearly beat out others on the bubble, including Jacob Cowing, Tay Martin, Ronnie Bell and Danny Gray, among others.

It's a tall order but not an insurmountable one.

No. 4: Running back Matt Breida

Like Taylor, the 49ers reunited with veteran running back Matt Breida to help resolve some injury attrition at the position, namely because of rookie Isaac Guerendo and All-Pro Christian McCaffrey missing time.

Guerendo is back in the mix, while McCaffrey should be OK by Week 1, meaning there are probably two more spots on the depth chart.

The aforementioned Schrader is competing for a spot, while it seems as if third-year pro Jordan Mason has a job locked down. Same with another veteran, Elijah Mitchell.

Breida, who is averaging a mere 1.8 yards per carry this preseason and has a fumble, has to soundly beat out someone like Schrader to stand a chance.

No. 5: Defensive end Alex Barrett

There's a pretty large gap between the Niners' starting four defensive linemen and those who are best suited for reserve duties, and plenty of the depth names could legitimately claim a spot on the 53-man roster even though they don't exactly possess much name recognition.

Defensive end Alex Barrett is one of those.

Not unlike Robinson, Barrett has been a friend to the practice squad and an occasional call-up for almost his entire San Francisco tenure, yet his 2024 preseason campaign has been excellent, boasting seven tackles, a sack and one forced fumble.

Teams never have enough pass-rushers, and Barrett might be close to doing enough to fill out the 49ers' crop.

A strong showing against the Raiders could seal the deal when the two teams square off on Friday, Aug. 23 at 10 p.m. ET from Allegiant Stadium.

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