When training camp opens for rookies and veterans alike on July 25, there will be the normal focus on three groups: rookies, new arrivals via trade or free agency, and players returning from injury.
Everyone loves tight end George Kittle, and he is coming off an Achilles tear (the healing is supposedly going well), so he will get a lot of attention.
Star wide receiver Mike Evans was signed this offseason, and when you get a future Hall of Famer on your team, you can't look away.
And while I am talking about one wide receiver, I should mention another, rookie wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, the team's pick in the second round this year, and his play will be scrutinized.
But other players might play a big role in the team's success this year who are not getting much mention.
Linebacker Nick Martin
A third-round pick last year, Nick Martin spent much of his rookie year getting healthy, but in his junior year at Oklahoma State he racked up 140 tackles and intercepted two passes.
Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw will start, but the Niners will need a third linebacker in their base package. Dee Winters is gone. It might be Luke Gifford, who did a solid job in spot duty last year, but what about Martin? He's fast and has good instincts. If he is healthy, could he be that guy? He will be worth watching.
Safety Marques Sigle
The safety out of Kansas State showed flashes during his rookie year, but when safeties Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown were healthy, Sigle went to the bench. But those two have been inconsistent during their time in San Francisco. If Sigle (and his 4.37-second 40 time) picks up new defensive coordinator Raheem Morris' defensive scheme quickly and shows consistency in coverage, could he be manning the back end on opening day?
Defensive tackle Alfred Collins
In a recent article, former 49ers defensive coordinator and current Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh named Alfred Collins as the player likely to make the biggest leap this coming season. In his rookie campaign, Collins showed potential, but commentators often criticized his lack of pass rush ability.
But that was not why he was drafted. In 2024, the San Francisco run defense was, forgive the pun, porous. General manager John Lynch spent draft capital to fix that, selecting Collins in the second round. Again: Collins was drafted to stop the run. In college, he never had more than two sacks in a season yet was first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American. He was brought in solely to stuff the run.
Lowering the opposition's yards per carry is not exciting, but when a defense forces third and long, it is often because the opponent's running back had nowhere to go. Collins will be a big part of that. We should take note of how he has progressed.
Running back Kaelon Black
For years, head coach Kyle Shanahan has said he would like to cut back on star running back Christian McCaffrey's touches, but that didn't happen last year when CMC led the league in that category. I was hoping Brian Robinson, the back they brought in from Washington, would be the answer, but Shanahan never really trusted him in the passing game, and Robinson never seemed fully comfortable in the offense.
This past April, Lynch selected Kaelon Black out of Indiana in the third round, and Niner fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been impressed by the rookie. "He runs so hard, and you can feel that [force] even in practice without pads on."
And though Black was criticized for his supposed weakness in the passing game, Juszczyk disagrees. "I know people have mentioned that he didn't catch a lot of passes at Indiana, but you wouldn't be able to tell that based on what you see on the practice field. He looks very natural running his routes, very natural hands, and I think he's going to fit in just perfectly."'
CMC has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career, but even if he doesn't miss time (fingers crossed), he will need to be spelled. Could Black be that guy?
Wide receiver Jordan Watkins
All eyes will be on many of the other Niner wide receivers. Is Mike Evans as dominant as people say? How fast is De'Zhaun Stribling? Is Ricky Pearsall healthy? Will Christian Kirk return punts, also?
But Watkins, like Stribling out of Ole Miss, ran a 4.37-second 40 when he came out and scored nine touchdowns his senior year against the best competition in college football. All of the reports out of training camp last year were that he was lighting it up until injuries derailed his season. Some speculate that with all of the additions, he will be a candidate for the practice squad.
That might be true, but he also has skills that might surprise people.
Training camp is a fun time of year, and my first wish is always that everyone will remain healthy, but I also love to learn if there are any surprises. While most fans won't be purchasing these players' jerseys, they might well be the key to winning games this season.
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