49ers snap count vs. Broncos: Is Cole Hikutini being kept under the radar on purpose?

The San Francisco 49ers are halfway through their preseason following Saturday’s loss to the Denver Broncos, and snap totals are offering a variety of information. I’ve posted the Week 2 snap count below, and here is the Week 1 snap count. You can view the Week 2 gamebook PDF here.

Preseason snap count totals are fascinating because there is all sorts of room for interpretation for why certain players are getting more snaps than others. On the offensive line, Erik Magnuson led the team in snaps while moving up from the third team to the second team. Magnuson has had some quality film through two games, and the more work he gets, the less likely it is that he would clear waivers if the 49ers want to slip him to the practice squad.

One player who has not gotten a ton of work is tight end Cole Hikutini. He got 11 snaps in Week 1 and three snaps in Week 2. Sometimes a team gives a player less playing time in hopes of keeping him under the radar and improve their chances of sliding him through waivers to the practice squad.

The 49ers got two veterans into the mix in a big way this week. Defensive lineman Leger Douzable and wide receiver Louis Murphy were training camp signings after injuries to their respective positions. Both got their first playing time last weekend, and were among the snap leaders at their respective positions. Both are long shots to make the roster, but they’ll be able to get some more work on film in the meantime.