placeholder image

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports


49ers may have two rookies starting in 2022

Aug 13, 2022 at 7:55 AM--


Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
Once drafted, rookies have an uphill battle to become a starter. Usually, first and second-round picks are a lock to start, but with the San Francisco 49ers, that hasn't necessarily been the case unless your name is Nick Bosa (first-round pick, 2019) or Deebo Samuel (second-round pick, 2019).

In 2020, the 49ers selected two first-round picks, defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and their time was limited as rookies. Aiyuk became a starter due to injuries in the wide receivers room, and in 2021, his role was diminished when he started the season in head coach Kyle Shanahan's dog house, and he could barely crack the starting lineup. Kinlaw was considered the replacement for DeForest Buckner, but he couldn't stay on the field during his rookie and sophomore seasons due to injuries. However, both players from that draft had flashes of being great for the 49ers in their limited roles.

In 2021, the 49ers drafted quarterback Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the draft, and offensive lineman Aaron Banks in the second round. Lance was limited to two starts as he developed behind then-starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Banks essentially redshirted his rookie season, seeing very limited action on the field. When Shanahan drafts players, it usually takes them a season or two to get accustomed to the 49ers' way.

Throughout training camp this season, two rookies have made strides, while standing out and trending towards possible starting roles. The 49ers drafted guard Spencer Burford from UTSA in the fourth round. Burford has played with the first unit at the right guard position all of training camp. He also started at right guard during the preseason game against the packers.

"You only notice when someone messes up, if not, you're looking down field," Shanahan said. "So I know he had a couple mistakes today, like they all did. But it was good to have him out there, get that playing time for three quarters and you can't do that enough with rookies, especially rookie O-lineman."

With Daniel Brunskill getting snaps at center and Burford's upward progression, Burford may be a lock as the starting right guard for the 49ers.

In the fifth round of the 2022 draft, the 49ers selected cornerback Samuel Womack III out of Toledo. All camp long, Womack ran with the second unit as the nickel back until the last couple of practices. Though Womack didn't start at the nickel back position in the preseason game against the Packers, he was the most impressive. Womack intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love two times in the game. When questioned at the presser, Womack III was asked if he felt like he raised his level of play when the lights were on.

"Most definitely," Womack responded. "I feel like I had a great game tonight. I still have stuff I have to learn from and get better at, but I feel like I took advantage of my opportunities."

Will fourth and fifth-round picks Spencer Burford and Samuel Womack III be starters in week one of 2022? If they continue to progress during the preseason, my answer is yes. Impressing Shanahan isn't easy. He pays attention to all the details. During his presser, Shanahan was asked about Womack.

"I'd like to watch the tape," the coach said. "I know when you get two picks, that's a big deal. You come up with those picks, that's a hell of a start, but we will see what he did on the other 40 plays."

According to Shanahan, it's difficult for rookies to step into any job. Though rookies seem unlikely to start for the 49ers, the sky is the limit for these two first-year players.
  • Written by:
    Wayne Breezie is a 49ers content creator. He had his first guest appearance on Ronbosports in 2012. He began writing for a Facebook group called the League of the 49ers. Next, he began writing for Nothing But Niners in 2017. In 2018, Wayne Breezie made his debut on YouTube’s Nothing But Niners show. In 2019, he started his podcast called Nitty Gritty Niners. After putting the pen down for several years, Breezie saw an opportunity to write for 49erscap.com. His first published article was in January of 2022 with 49ersCap, and he currently writes and produces weekly podcasts.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.



LISTEN

Facebook Comments



More San Francisco 49ers News


placeholder image

49ers starting to figure out running back rotation behind Christian McCaffrey

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 24

Through the first two games of the season, San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey dominated the team's touches, recording 27 in Week 1, when he rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown, and 23 in Week 2, when he gained 116 yards on the ground and another touchdown. When on the field, McCaffrey was dominant, but he was earning a lion's share of the reps at running back, including a 100% snap share in Week 2 during the 49ers' 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams. That led to head coach Kyle Shanahan taking some accountability after the Week 2 win, understanding the need to balance the running back rotation to preserve McCaffrey for the full season. "Yeah, we definitely got to get Elijah in there more and do better with our rotation than


placeholder image

Why 49ers Nick Bosa appears "sluggish" through two games

By Chris Beno
Sep 19

After missing this year's OTA's and Training Camp in a hold out effort for a new contract, San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Defensive End Nick Bosa finally became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, just days before the team's week one matchup against the Pittsburg Steelers. Bosa signed a five-year $170 million extension with the team. It's easy to say Bosa's slow start in that week one matchup was due to his holdout and lack of football activity with the team this offseason. However, to say that sluggishness carried over into their week two matchup against their division rival Los Angeles Rams isn't entirely true. Far too often players (especially defensive players) are critiqued on stats alone. While stats help players earn end of the year accolades, they don't


placeholder image

Kyle Shanahan: 49ers still have "got to improve" despite 3-0 start

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 23

The San Francisco 49ers improved to 3-0 on the season after a 30-12 victory over the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football—dominating from the jump and never letting up a two-possession lead after a 17-6 advantage going into halftime. However, that dominating performance doesn't mean that the 49ers played at their peak, at least according to Kyle Shanahan, who was pleased with his team's play on a tough Thursday night, but still pointed out a couple of improvements to look at going forward. "Yeah, definitely, [I still think we have some work to do]," Shanahan said. "We did real good, time of possession, I think we had like 40 minutes. I thought our defense played real well. I thought they stepped it up. They started doing that in the second half last


placeholder image

Nick Bosa: 49ers D-line will have more opportunities against Daniel Jones

By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 19

The San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-23 win on Sunday, overcoming a tight first half to generate a double-digit lead until the last play of the game, improving to 2-0 on the season. Now, the 49ers are getting ready to host their season opener, and it comes in primetime, as San Francisco will play the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football at Levi's Stadium this week. The Giants have started their season with two very different games, losing 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the opener before making a comeback in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals for a 31-28 win. However, they may be without star running back Saquon Barkley, who suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2, potentially putting an even bigger onus on quarterback Daniel Jones against the


Featured

Trending News

Share 49ersWebzone