The San Francisco 49ers will see another rookie make his debut against the Arizona Cardinals, with fifth-round rookie defensive end Robert Beal Jr. active for the first time.
San Francisco's rookie class did not receive much fanfare after the draft as they did not have a selection until the third round.
However, top pick Ji'Ayir Brown has thrived since taking over as a starting safety following Talanoa Hufanga's ACL injury and Beal's debut in Week 15 marks the first time this season that all the San Francisco draft picks who did not begin the year on season-ending injured reserve have been active for the same game.
Tight end Cameron Latu was placed on season-ending injured reserve before the regular season because of a knee injury that required surgery.
Save for kicker Jake Moody, the third-rounder who has endured some struggles, Brown is the selection who has made the biggest impact, registering two interceptions in the last four games.
Most of the 49ers' picks were on defense, and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was this week bullish on the choices San Francisco made in the 2023 draft.
"A lot of credit man to [general manager] John Lynch and the whole entire scouting department," said Wilks on Thursday.
"And I said this several times to the defensive staff, man, I think we hit on all our picks on defense, man. Those guys are going to be great players for us."
Beal likely won't get much of an opportunity to vindicate his coordinator's words in his first NFL game, but there aren't many players who have had the chance to celebrate a division title on debut. He could do just that.
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