[h2]10 Rookies to Watch at 49ers Training Camp[/h2]
Before the San Francisco 49ers officially begin training camp on Aug. 1, let's take a look at 10 notable rookies on the roster.
The beauty of this post is that we could be completely wrong about who should be included on this list. In reality, there's always an under-the-radar rookie who grabs the spotlight in training camp and finds his way onto the 53-man roster after four preseason contests.
Case in point, not many scribes were talking about undrafted lineman
Dillon Farrellas a roster candidate last year. But we were wrong. Farrell made the team.
This particular top-10 list is not in any order. It's simply a list of players who will be given a solid amount of practice reps based on what was observed in Organized Team Activities and minicamps.
1. Dylan Thompson
Based on who touches the ball the most in training camp, a third-string quarterback is high on the list. The South Carolina product will get plenty of opportunities to spin the rock. He'll get to throw to former college teammates like wide receiver
Bruce Ellington, tight end
Busta Anderson and running back
Mike Davis. Thompson looked impressive in his first offseason. It's no wonder why he led the SEC last season with 26 touchdown passes. In camp, Thompson will have a chance to prove the 49ers should keep three signal-callers on the roster.
2. Eli Harold
You can never have enough pass-rushing help. Trent Baalke knows this all too well. That's why the San Francisco's general manager picked up
Aaron Lynch in the fifth round of last year's draft and Harold, the Virginia standout, in the third round of this year's draft. Harold has the size to be an pass-rushing problem for NFL tackles. He also has the perfect player to emulate ahead of him on the depth chart:
Aldon Smith.
3. Blake Bell
The "Belldozer" is an intuiging player to watch for many reasons. The Oklahoma tight end will be in the mix to be one of the team's top three tight ends this season. Bell also is a unique talent around the goal line. Can he be used as a short-yardage weapon? That remains to be seen. Bell accounted for 40 touchdowns in college, throwing for 12 and rushing for 24. When the 49ers go into goal-line periods, that could be Bell's time to prove why he earned such a sweet moniker.
4. Arik Armstead
We weren't able to see Armstead matchup against the veterans this offseason. Armstead missed offseason practices due to Oregon's graduation date. Even so, the 6-foot-7 defensive lineman has the tools to be a contributor in San Francisco's defensive line rotation. We're most eager to see how Armstead uses his long levers against left tackle
Joe Staley in 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills.
5. DeAndrew White
Out of the six rookie wideouts on the roster, our eyes were fixated on No. 18 during offseason practices. White caught everything thrown his way. Everything. The 49ers used a fourth-round pick on Georgia Tech's
DeAndre Smelter, but it's not known if he'll be ready for training camp, let alone his rookie season. So with opportunity for a young wideout to shine, White was able to consistently flash throughout the offseason. Now we're eager to see if that translates to padded practices against the first-team defense.
6. Bradley Pinion
A special teams institution moved on this offseason when the 49ers traded Andy Lee to the Cleveland Browns. Enter the Clemson stud, who left school early to showcase his booming leg on the professional level. Pinion's role will be under the microscope since he's following Lee's decade-long reign as San Francisco's punter. Pinion could even be the 49ers kick-off specialist. The fact that the 21-year-old could impact regular season games in multiple ways means we'll be tracking the rookie's punts and kicks throughout camp.
7. Mike Davis
Easily the most entertaining rookie on social media, this 5-foot-9 bruiser looks to bring his physical style of play into training camp. Davis is used to heavy competition. He took the torch from Marcus Lattimore at South Carolina and became one of the top rushers in the SEC over the past two seasons. With the 49ers, Davis will be in a competitive backfield with the likes of
Carlos Hyde,
Kendall Hunter and
Reggie Bush. Davis' compact frame and hard-charging style could make him a short-yardage weapon. As for his all-around verstatility, we're eager to see it show itself over the course of the training camp schedule.
8. Trent Brown
The fourth and final retirement of the 49ers offseason means this seventh-round draft pick could be in the mix to start in 2015. With Anthony Davis off the roster, Brown is now competing with veteran
Erik Pears to be the team's first-team right tackle. Brown's size (6-foot-8, 355 pounds) makes him a force to be reckoned with. In the same way we want to see dream matchups like Harold versus Staley; we're intruiged at the thought of Brown squaring off against veterans like Smith and
Ahmad Brooks.
9. Jaquiski Tartt
Samford will be on the map when this hard-hitting safety gets a chance to showcase his talents in training camp and preseason games. Tartt was drafted by the 49ers because of his rangy cover skills. He also has the ability to play in the box, which gives defensive coordinator Eric Mangini added options with his personnel. Tartt wasn't an under-the-radar pick to those in the scouting community. In camp, the young safety will get his chance to prove he can make game-changing plays on the professional level.
10. Dres Anderson
We close out this list with the Utah product who impressed with his post-reception burst. Anderson had his 2014 season cut short with a knee injury. But after watching him in OTAs and minicamp, it appears as if Anderson is fully healed. Whenever he caught a short pass, Anderson darted up the field like nothing was wrong. Can Anderson supplant a few veterans on the wide receiver depth chart? That's a big question. But if he's able to show his YAC (yard after the catch) skills, it's going to be hard to deny him.
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