After an ugly first preseason game for the San Francisco 49ers, they trail 6-3 heading into halftime of their bout against the Denver Broncos.
While many points haven't been scored, there have been some standouts, as well as some disappointing performances thus far.
Whose stock is up and down through 30 minutes of action between the 49ers and Broncos?
Stock Up
CB Ambry Thomas
Ambry Thomas earned the start at outside cornerback, as the 49ers tried out Deommodore Lenoir at the nickel spot.
Thomas has built off his strong preseason start with another solid half here in Week 2.
While it hasn't come necessarily with as many splash plays, Thomas did have good coverage on a deep crosser from Jerry Jeudy, a very underrated route runner, for an incomplete pass in the endzone.
Thomas did get burned by a nasty double move to end the half, but it still has been a solid day overall.
After a good week of practice, Thomas's stock is continuing to trend up, and he's arguably on his way to a starting spot.
WR Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel wasn't happy with his last year's performance, as he looked out of shape to begin the year and was sluggish at times.
However, Samuel came into camp looking good, and his newfound explosiveness was seen on a few passes Saturday that opened up the field for the 49ers on their first drive.
If the 49ers get this version of Samuel, they're in good shape between him and Brandon Aiyuk heading into 2022.
Defensive Tackles
The defensive tackle unit was a part of my "stock down" list last weekend, as Kevin Givens, Kerry Hyder, and Javon Kinlaw were eaten up in the run game.
However, with the starters seeing some action, the defensive line looked much better to begin the game.
Javon Hargrave got a sack on a play where the quarterback tried to escape, while T.Y. McGill had a nice sack as well.
The depth will be an area to monitor in the second half and going forward, as that's the group that struggled last week.
S Tayler Hawkins
Tayler Hawkins has looked good now in consecutive games, continuing to fill lanes aggressively and make plays.
While the path for a roster spot is murky, Hawkins could be in competition for a backup spot if he continues to flash and provide special-teams assurance.
Stock Down
CB Isaiah Oliver
This was a really crucial game for Oliver, who went from a starter to fighting for a roster spot, and he didn't have a good start.
Oliver missed a crucial third-down tackle and gave up another catch as the second-team nickelback.
Prior to the game, I predicted the 49ers would cut Oliver and keep younger options.
Thus far, Oliver hasn't done much to prove me wrong.
QB Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold continues to struggle against the blitz, both in getting the ball out and identifying incoming rushers.
Darnold's issue throughout training camp and the preseason has been the same: his processing is slow.
He didn't do much to disprove that, and was unable to compile a scoring drive on the half.
HC Kyle Shanahan
Last week, while the 49ers didn't have much offensive success, I liked Kyle Shanahan's aggressiveness, especially given it was the preseason.
That went out the door on Saturday, as the offense got all the way to the two-yard line, but Shanahan kicked a field goal on fourth down.
I absolutely understand the importance of getting Jake Moody some easy opportunities, but a better one would've been an extra point, which was a 33-yarder as well compared to the 19-yarder Moody made.
It's also important to continue giving Brock Purdy reps, especially ones in the redzone, and rep those specific plays, which don't come often.
Missed opportunity from Shanahan to kill two birds with one stone.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
