An edge rusher who could put a stamp on making the roster, plus competition and linebacker and the offensive line that needs to sort itself out.
Friday night will conclude the 49ers’ preseason slate with the 53-man cut-down date looming on August 27th. The starting positions are, for the most part, set. Paging Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk. The preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders will be the last case for players to make before the tough decisions are made from 90 players to 53 for the 49ers.
Which 49ers players need to step up on Friday to help secure their spot on the roster?
Alex Barrett
Barrett has been phenomenal in the preseason. With the cut-down coming for the defensive line group, will they prioritize EDGE depth over interior defensive linemen? Barrett has been a part of the organization for the last few years and has shown out this preseason with the highest defensive grade of any 49ers defender (90.3), and six pressures, four hurries, a sack, a QB hit, and a batted pass on 41 pass rushing snaps.
Another strong performance for Barrett will add to his case and make his presence on the 53-man undeniable. Jonathan Garvin has the second-most pressures from the EDGE group, with two pressures and two hurries on 29 pass-blocking snaps.
Curtis Robinson/Jalen Graham/Tatum Bethune
Fred Warner and De’Vondre Campbell are locked in, with Dre Greenlaw recovering from his injury in the Super Bowl. Dee Winters has drawn high praise from the coaching staff and 49ers players during the offseason and seems safe to make the roster. Which of Curtis Robinson, Tatum Bethune, Jalen Graham, or Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles will make the initial cut down?
Last season, the 49ers kept six linebackers. Flannigan-Fowles was one of the six, but the 49ers will look to replace Oren Burks with Robinson, Bethune, and Graham pushing each other for a roster spot. Bethune leads the team in total tackles with ten in two games. Robinson and Graham are third and fourth, following Malik Mustapha with eight and seven tackles each.
Robinson and Graham are tied for the team lead with six defensive stops, and Bethune is tied with Alex Barrett for second with five. Flannigan-Fowles is looking to make the roster based on how long he has stuck around. Will the 49ers value his time and special teams contributions in favor of upside from Robinson or Graham?
The offensive line battle
Trent Williams, Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, and Colton McKivitz should be the 49ers starting offensive line when the Jets travel to Levi’s Stadium in Week 1. Banks is unclear due to his pinky injury, and Williams has to return to the facility.
Spencer Burford is poised to return as well, and Jon Feliciano will begin the season on injured reserve. Jaylon Moore has a spot on the roster as Williams’ replacement. Jarrett Kingston, Nick Zakelj, Chris Hubbard, Brandon Parker, Sebastian Gutierrez, and Isaac Alarcon are fighting for two spots.
If I had a guess, I’d lean Hubbard and Zakelj making the roster, with Kingston and Parker landing on the practice squad.