Three 49ers to Watch in the Preseason Game Against the Raiders

It’s no secret that the wide receiver position is desolate for the 49ers. That’s why it had to have been relieving when Jacob Cowing returned from a hamstring injury. 

Now that he’s back, Cowing has a lot of ground to make up. He had a lot of momentum on his side when he entered training camp. 

He can easily regain that with a solid outing against the Raiders, which is what he did last year. Cowing needs to replicate his excellent preseason performance against the Raiders from last year in this game.

Essentially, he has to create Deja vu. The 49ers will be sitting nicely again at the receiver position if Cowing looks good. It’ll be a reminder to people why the 49ers don’t need to sign a veteran receiver like Amari Cooper. 

Cowing’s workload might not be hefty since he only returned to practice this week, but all he needs to do is look legitimate for his limited snaps, if that’s the case. 

RB Corey Kiner

He didn’t have a highlight-worthy game against the Broncos, but rookie running back Corey Kiner was noteworthy for Kyle Shanahan. Kiner stood out to Shanahan when he reviewed the film against Denver.

“I liked how Corey ran. I thought he ran hard,” Shanahan said. “We'll keep pushing him to get better as a runner, but I just loved the mentality he ran with.”

Kiner has some momentum now from getting noticed. It wouldn’t be surprising if his chances increased in this second preseason game. 

Shanahan liked what he saw against Denver and will want to see if Kiner can do it again. With fellow rookie Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo out, now is the perfect time for Kiner to maximize his chances. 

OL Connor Colby

Another rookie who Shanahan has enjoyed seeing grow recently is offensive lineman Connor Colby. That’s part of why he should be a player to hone in on, but also because he’s probably going to end up as the starting left guard at some point.

To no surprise, presumed starter Ben Bartch has sustained a new injury. This time it is his elbow, which is making him inactive for this game. 

There’s just no way Bartch will hold up for the majority of the season. Colby will end up starting eventually, and with recent praise being bestowed upon him by Shanahan, it makes for the prime opportunity to closely watch him against the Raiders. 

49ers fans should begin to familiarize themselves with this rookie is bound to be the starting left guard.