The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday open their preseason schedule against the Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n
Wins and losses don’t matter in the preseason, but the reps very much count for players trying to make the roster or move their way up the depth chart. Here are seven 49ers we’ll be keeping a close eye on Saturday evening at Levi’s Stadium:<\/p>\n
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There’s a real chance Winters locks up the starting Will linebacker job with a strong outing against the Broncos. He’s put together a nice camp, but showing off improvements in a game situation will be paramount to the third-year LB cementing himself as a three-down player. Winters struggled with diagnosing runs and fakes last year.<\/p>\n
It would be an awesome story if Gage wound up making the roster and having a role in the 49ers’ offense. He’s been a consistent presence on offense according to reports out of training camp. Now he’ll get an opportunity in game action to secure a regular season roster spot in the NFL for the first time since 2022. If he plays a ton, it doesn’t bode well for his prospects of making the team. If he only plays a handful of snaps it may mean he’s on his way to grabbing a spot in the receiving corps.<\/p>\n
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It’s time to see some of the 49ers’ rookie defensive linemen in action. Collins is the player we’re highlighting because he has a ways to go from a technique standpoint before making an impact as an NFL defensive lineman. We’ll be watching his pad level and how often he gets stood up in the run game. If he’s a frequent visitor into the Broncos’ backfield it’ll be a good sign for his development. Any pass rush impact at this point is a bonus.<\/p>\n
This could be a make-or-break preseason for Willis. There are a handful of tight end options on the 49ers’ 90-man roster, but none of them have the pass-catching upside that Willis does. Having involvement in the passing game in practice is good. Now he has to have some moments as a receiver in a game while also working as an effective blocker. Finding a reliable blocker who is a legitimate pass-catching threat would be a nice win for the 49ers’ offense.<\/p>\n
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There hasn’t been much buzz about Kiner in camp. Some NFL draft analysts really liked him coming out of Cincinnati and the 49ers have had previous success with undrafted RBs. Fifth-round pick Jordan James is out with a finger injury which opens the door for Kiner to get a ton of carries. Veteran Ameer Abdullah figures to be in the mix for a heavy workload as well, but Kiner has a legitimate shot to make a splash in his first NFL preseason.<\/p>\n
Can Bradley actually play? He impressed the 49ers in a workout, but there are still questions about whether he can perform when the reps are live. Tanner Mordecai is back on the roster so it’s unlikely Bradley will get every offensive snap. If he plays well, though, he could begin positioning himself as a long-term backup option for the 49ers.<\/p>\n
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The kicker battle isn’t over just yet. Moody has to make his kicks in games to hold onto the lone roster spot carved out at his position. There’ll be immense pressure on every kick with what is likely a very short leash for the former third-round pick.<\/p>\n
More 49ers: Standout rookie named 49ers top player to watch in preseason opener<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL preseason: 7 49ers to watch in opener vs. Broncos<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are a handful of players to watch closely when the San Francisco 49ers host the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":75275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[109,1671,2817,2404,2891,1398,1778,1708,95,237,2351,9,2709,2890,2522,12,1714,1559],"class_list":["post-75274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl","tag-49ers","tag-alfred-collins","tag-ameer-abdullah","tag-brayden-willis","tag-carter-bradley","tag-cincinnati","tag-corey-kiner","tag-dee-winters","tag-denver-broncos","tag-jake-moody","tag-jordan-james","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-preseason","tag-preseason-schedule","tag-russell-gage","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-tanner-mordecai","tag-the-49ers"],"yoast_head":"\n