There are only a few solidified starters for the San Francisco 49ers. After Torrey Smith and Carlos Hyde, who are the number twos? Once the team gets a few preseason games under their belts, the picture should become more clearcut but for now, we will take a look at a few players who have helped their cause during training camp.
CB Keith Reaser
While the praise from coaches may be about Jimmie Ward’s athleticism, Reaser has quietly been putting together a solid camp. He is regularly right in the mix with the 1s and the 2s and records PBUs consistently. His athleticism has shown through in his coverage and his speed. On Sunday’s last play of team drills he sped to towards the sidelines to swat down a ball intended for Jerome Simpson. His constant effort throughout practice makes him a stand out. Although Ward and Tramaine Brock are at the top of the CB depth chart, Reaser is right at their heels and should see the field quite a bit.
WR DiAndre Campbell
The UDFA from Washington, who has recently received praise from QB Blaine Gabbert, had a very productive practice on Sunday catching seven passes. He worked with both Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick during team team drills. He almost pulled in a pass from Kaepernick on the goal line but lost the fight for the ball with Marcus Cromartie. The loss of Eric Rogers to a season ending ACL injury has opened up the door for the young WR group for who will play behind veteran Torrey Smith.
RB Shaun Draughn
There hasn’t been a clear standout behind starter Carlos Hyde but the 5th year running back from North Carolina has put together a solid camp performance. Draughn, who stepped in midseason to help an ailing RB corps in 2015 is a solid candidate to get a good amount of playing time once the games begin. He has been working with the 1s and 2s and is a solid pass catcher out of the backfield usually recording a pretty even split of catches and carries throughout drills.
CB Rashard Robinson
Although the rookie from LSU has not been a stand out in PBUs during training camp, Robinson is everywhere on the field. His is fast and seems to be involved in every play. Evidence of his effort is reflected in the constant chatter back and forth between the opposing WRs and the rookie. He has been seen wearing light MMA boxing gloves during practice to keep him from causing holding penalties but that hasn’t curbed his aggressive play on the field, it actually may be increasing it.
We will continue to look at under the radar players as we get closer to the first preseason game. Practice resumes on Tuesday after the players have only their second day off from training camp.