The San Francisco 49ers were ousted by the Las Vegas Raiders in brutal fashion, losing 34-7 in their first preseason bout during a game where nearly none of the starters played on either side of the ball.
San Francisco significantly struggled offensively, with their lone scoring play coming off a near interception, while the defense struggled to contain both quarterback Aidan O'Connell and the run game in a disappointing effort.
Whose stock has dropped after Week 1 of the preseason?
TE Cameron Latu
Arguably the biggest "stock down" player of the day, Cameron Latu has really struggled this offseason, be it drop concerns, route running, or fumble issues, which happened during his lone rep on Sunday.
Despite being a third-round pick, Latu has to be an option on the roster bubble, given his recurring issues, but a weak position group, in addition to draft status, may keep the rookie on the roster.
But, the reports haven't been great for Latu this week in practice, which means the rookie will likely need to prove himself over the next two weeks of preseason.
DTs Javon Kinlaw/Kevin Givens/Kerry Hyder
I've got to pair all three players here, as the run defense against the Raiders was porous.
If looking at a per-rush average, the numbers may not stand out, but Las Vegas ran the ball 35 times, meaning they commanded control of the pacer throughout the game.
Kinlaw, Givens, and Hyder each had their struggles in defending against the run versus the Raiders' backup offensive linemen, which isn't promising when considering those are the team's top depth pieces at defensive tackle.
While it's early, with the defensive tackle struggles over Week 1, there's a question to be made regarding the quality of depth.
CB Isaiah Oliver
The lone projected starter who played on Sunday, Isaiah Oliver didn't have a great debut, as the cornerback gave up two catches, including a touchdown on Sunday.
But, what happened after the game was most telling. Oliver, who had been seen as the locked starter at nickelback for the 49ers, was not deemed a starter by Kyle Shanahan, who shared there's an ongoing competition at nickel.
Steve Wilks, who brought Oliver over from the Atlanta Falcons and repeatedly praised him as a starter this offseason, re-affirmed that sentiment this week, and reports surfaced that the 49ers are trying out Ambry Thomas with the first-team unit, while moving Deommodore Lenoir to the inside.
Oliver went from a potential starting lock to a cornerback still fighting for his job.
LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
The run game saw struggles along the front four, as the running backs consistently got to the second level.
But, the linebackers weren't great either, as there were several reps where the group of players didn't engage near the line of scrimmage, but instead waited for rushers to come to then, and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles was at the forefront.
There was some over-aggression from the 49ers, but a lot of timid play, and that can't happen, especially in this type of defense.
Flannigan-Fowles, fighting for a roster spot, will need a better Weeks 2 and 3 to justify a 53-man roster lock.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
