There aren’t a ton of opportunities for rookies on this year’s 49ers club. They’re hoping to be in the Super Bowl conversation and a roster loaded with high-end talent has typically leaned on veterans in the years where they haven’t had first-round draft picks.
This year San Francisco didn’t pick until late in the third round, which could force them to lean even more toward veterans without a highly-drafted prospect to put in the mix.
However, a surprise performance or two could move some first-year players prominently into the mix for the 49ers in their hunt for a sixth Super Bowl trophy.
These are the seven rookies we’ll be watching closest when San Francisco begins camp in late July;
DB Ji'Ayir Brown
There isn’t really an open starting safety job, but the reason to watch Brown is that he could force his way into the conversation as a starter at free safety. The likely outcome is that Tashaun Gipson, who was good last year, will retain that starting job while Brown mixes in as a Swiss Army knife third safety. However, if Brown lights it up in training camp he could either snag a starting job or become a big piece of the 49ers’ secondary right out of the gate.
TE Cameron Latu
One of the 49ers’ most interesting selections in this year’s draft was at No. 101 when they took Latu out of Alabama. They took him a couple rounds earlier than most analysts had him going, but the team believes in his upside as a receiver. That’s where he’ll be fascinating to watch in camp. Blocking aside, Latu has just started ascending as a pass catcher after starting his career at Alabama on the defensive side of the ball. He didn’t catch a pass until his fourth of five seasons. If he continues improving in that area while providing enough as a blocker to get on the field, he could quickly become the team’s No. 2 TE and a perhaps bigger receiving threat than they’ve ever had behind George Kittle.
DE Robert Beal Jr.
There aren’t many openings for rookies in the 49ers’ starting lineup. One of the few is on the end opposite Nick Bosa, which is why Beal is an interesting player to watch in his first NFL camp. He brings all of the necessary physical tools and athleticism to be a quality edge rusher in the NFL. If the Georgia product can hit the ground running and 2022 second-round pick Drake Jackson struggles at all, it’s not inconceivable that Beal could sneak into a significant role in his rookie season.
K Jake Moody
Everything the 49ers have said about Moody points to his stoic demeanor through the variety of stress tests they put him through in workouts. Now they get to see if the result of those tests translates once the pads come on and the reps are live. Chances are he’s going to be fine, but when the team spends the 99th overall pick on a kicker, there needs to be some level of excellence right out of the gate.
FB Jack Colletto
It wouldn’t be a 49ers training camp without an undrafted rookie to watch. Colletto is the first of two UDFAs who jump out. He did a little bit of everything at Oregon State and played both sides of the ball. On offense he was a running back, fullback and quarterback. Colletto also spent time as a linebacker on defense. How well he plays isn’t as interesting as how the 49ers deploy him. Perhaps they seem him as a long-term replacement for Kyle Juszczyk and want him to develop as a fullback. There’s a chance he gives them some offensive wrinkles and does enough on special teams though to work his way into the conversation for a roster spot.
TE Brayden Willis
Willis has a different skill set than Latu and joined the 49ers as a seventh-round selection. That doesn’t make him any less interesting as a potential TE2 for San Francisco. Willis was good after the catch and an excellent move blocker in college. His usage as a pass catcher was consistent across his five seasons at Oklahoma which may help him impact the game as a receiver right away. If he can quickly translate his blocking on the move and receiving prowess to the NFL, he could be right there with his third-round counterpart in the hunt for playing time behind Kittle.
RB Khalan Laborn
Laborn is the second of the UDFAs on our list. He had a rough first few years at Florida State, but transferred to Marshall from Florida State and put up a great final college season. He showed off a decisive running style and a good blend of power and shiftiness with The Herd. A good camp from Laborn could see him sneak onto the roster over a second-year player like Jordan Mason or Tyrion Davis-Price if one of them struggle.
