24 days until 49ers kickoff: Who wore it best? Who wears it now?

The San Francisco 49ers kick off the 2015 NFL regular season on Monday Night Football, on September 14. That game. means San Francisco is now a mere 24 days away from kicking off its 2015 regular season. In the spirit of that approaching date, I thought I would steal this idea from our Oakland Raiders site.

Who wore it best: J.D. Smith (1956-1964)

I felt obligated to go with Mike Rumph for the picture, even though he was clearly not the best to wear this number. But he brings back oh so many memories!

It has been a while since No. 24 was worn by a notable talent. Plenty have worn it, but the big names are from pre-Walsh. Running back Delvin Williams was in the mix for his work in the mid-70s. He had a better career with the Miami Dolphins, but he put together a Pro Bowl year in 1976, when he rushed for 1,203 yards. However, I decided to go with two-way player J.D. Smith. He played running back and defensive back, but his best numbers came on the offensive side of the ball. He ranks sixth all-time on the 49ers career rushing leaderboard with 4,370 yards. He was not a dominant player, but he had some solid years. His best year came in 1959, when he rushed for 1,036 yards and ten touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl nod.

Who wears it now: CB Shareece Wright (2015-present)

Kenneth Acker sported the number last year, but newcomer Shareece Wright gets it this year. I wouldn't be surprised if he paid Acker a modest amount to use the number. Acker is now sharing No. 20 with Mike Davis. Wright is competing for some kind of opportunity in the 49ers secondary, but it is hard to tell where he stands. He opened training camp as the starter opposite Tramaine Brock, and held that role through the first preseason game. Now, he finds himself behind Keith Reaser over the last week of practice. Could he find himself out of the starting lineup before even securing a role there?