5 49ers Who Secured Jobs in Preseason Finale

The San Francisco 49ers preseason is now complete. With no more chances for players to make cases for starting jobs, which position battles might have been wrapped up after the third preseason game?

Carver Willis 

Willis started the summer as the third-string left guard. However, the former fourth-round pick from Washington was moving from left tackle inside to guard, so there was going to be some adjustment. Willis was always going to get a chance to start, but the competition thinned out around him.

Connor Colby has shifted to right guard; Robert Jones is not healthy, and Austen Pleasants only shifted to guard because of the weakness at the spot. He got hurt during his limited guard snaps. 

Willis saw extended playing time and looked good in the 49ers preseason finale. That should wrap things up for Week 1.

Keion White

White has been banged up for the majority of the preseason. However, he might have come back just in time to start in Week 1. He returned and immediately recorded a sack. The 49ers will likely be without Mykel Williams for the first six games of the season. That will leave White competing with veteran Sam Okuaynonu for starting work. White might have won that spot. 

Tatum Bethune 

Bethune entered the game firmly on the roster bubble. They have Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Luke Gifford, Jaden Dugger, Nick Martin, and Garrett Wallow all ahead of him on the depth chart. However, Gifford has not been healthy all summer, and now Martin is out as well. Bethune added an interception in the 49ers preseason finale. That would likely win him a spot. 

Hayden Rucci 

Rucci has a strong shot at making the roster, especially because of the doubt around George Kittle being healthy in Week 1. Brayden Willis was the competition for Rucci, and he left the game with an injury. The 49ers have Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges as their only two healthy tight ends. They cannot enter the year with just two tight ends. Rucci has played well enough in the preseason, and he has experience in a Shanahan-type system playing for Miami last year. He can make the roster.

Drake Nugent

Brett Toth has not been healthy, so the competition has hardly happened. He has been banged up, while Nugent has started in every game for the 49ers in the preseason. It would be hard to keep Toth over Nugent at this point.