5 49ers playing for their jobs at training camp

No. 5: 49ers Day 3 and UDFA Rookie Class

This is cheating the list, but the reality of the situation, despite all the qualifications in the previous slides, is that the 49ers have these established veterans for a reason.

Players drafted earlier do not necessarily come in to replace players. They fill in positions that were open in large part for them. It is the later draft picks who have to earn their way onto the roster, displacing veterans that were there previously. And although there is upside in all of their late picks, from the linebackers to the corners and their varied UDFA class, the Niners are in a scramble to take advantage of their roster's competitive window.

That means players who might have high potential or raw skills might be left aside for those who can immediately contribute in a pinch, and for players without much investment in them due to their draft position, the business of the NFL will kick in shortly.

As opposed to other years, where it was a likely case that most Niners draft picks would make the 53-man roster, there is no guarantee that anyone drafted in the fourth round or later has a roster spot available.

That's what happens when a team is as talented as San Francisco.

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