It's almost time for the San Francisco 49ers to report to training camp, with the rookies reporting on Tuesday, July 15. The veterans will arrive on July 22, with practices set to begin the day after on July 23. With high expectations, despite a disappointing 2024 season, and a slew of young players (including 11 draft picks), this will be an important camp for coaches to evaluate the roster.
As the team prepares for camp, we're going to take a look at some burning questions and then make predictions for each of those. There are plenty of questions the 49ers will need to answer for 2025. Here are a handful of mine. Let's get to them.
1. Which young wide receiver will step up?
Brandon Aiyuk will likely miss part of the season as he recovers from last season's knee injury. And even when he does return, we have no guarantees that he will look anything like the 2023 version of himself. Newcomer Demarcus Robinson will likely start the season serving a three-game suspension for a DUI charge stemming from an incident last year. Robinson pled no contest earlier this week (nolo contendere) on a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and was sentenced to 36 months of probation and imposed a $390 fine. So the 49ers will need some young wide receivers to step up this season. But who might it be?
We will assume second-year WR Ricky Pearsall will improve. He finished 2025 strong with 14 catches (on 18 targets) for 210 yards receiving and two touchdowns in his final two games. If he can build off that, Pearsall will be an excellent complement to the other starter, Jauan Jennings. But who else can the 49ers count on until Aiyuk and Robinson return?
Second-year receiver Jacob Cowing is the most likely candidate. He had only one catch last season, but is expected to be a better version of himself in 2025. Cowing has excellent speed, and if Kyle Shanahan can tap into that speed, Cowing could be a dangerous weapon for the 49ers.
Others to watch in training camp and preseason include rookies Jordan Watkins, Junior Bergen, and Isaiah Neyor. Third-year WR Malik Knowles is an intriguing player to watch, as well. He has yet to appear in a game, but was a dynamic player in college. If Shanahan can find a way to use him, Knowles could potentially help the 49ers.
Prediction: Cowing will have a better sophomore season than he did as a rookie and will give the 49ers some real speed on offense.
2. When will Alfred Collins sign his rookie deal?
Rookie DT Alfred Collins still hasn't signed his rookie contract, but it's not entirely his fault. The first two second-round picks in the 2025 draft (Jayden Higgins and Carson Schwesinger) received fully guaranteed contracts, which has held up signings for the rest of the second round. It's unlikely Collins will sign before Tuesday, when 49ers rookies report.
So, when will he sign? At this point, it's anyone's guess. The sooner Collins signs, the better, of course. He missed the offseason with a calf injury and needs to get into football shape. Being a rookie is hard enough, but when you miss part or all of training camp, it makes things even more challenging.
Prediction: Alfred Collins will have minimal impact in 2025. The fact that he's an (already) injured rookie is tough enough, but if he misses much of training camp, it will be an uphill climb to making an impact this season.
3. Which linebacker will play next to Fred Warner?
Dre Greenlaw is no longer Fred Warner's running mate. Dee Winters has had a shot at becoming that guy, but so far, hasn't grabbed on to it. So in April, the 49ers drafted Oklahoma State LB Nick Martin. And now Winters has some competition to be the starter next to Warner.
Martin was an excellent player in college when he was healthy. At his best, he is an impact player. The question will be how quickly he can learn Robert Saleh's system, and whether or not he can stay healthy. Winters has had issues staying healthy, as well, which is why both players need to be at their best.
Prediction: Nick Martin will pass Dee Winters before mid-season. Martin is more talented, and once he learns the system and can just react, rather than thinking so much, he should be a more impactful player than Winters. It's also important to note that Martin was handpicked by Saleh. Winters was not.
4. Who will play nickel corner?
CB Deommodore Lenoir says he will play on the outside this season, meaning someone else will play the difficult nickel position. The 49ers brought in veteran Tre Brown and drafted Upton Stout to play nickel so they can keep Lenoir on the outside. But Brown hasn't been overly impressive in his four-year career, and Stout is a rookie. And rookies tend to struggle early on at nickel. If neither player can handle the position, Lenoir may have to go back to nickel. But that would also require the 49ers to have someone step up and play on the outside, opposite of Renardo Green. And that player may not be on the roster yet.
Prediction: Brown will start the season at nickel. If Stout can overtake him, that will happen later in the season. If not, we could see the 49ers bring in another outside corner and play Lenoir inside.
5. Who will be San Francisco's kicker?
Jake Moody was very good in 2024—until he wasn't. But in between the good and the bad was an injury that probably should have kept Moody out the rest of the season. The fanbase is over the "Money Moody" experience. And the 49ers may be, as well. They brought in veteran kicker Greg Joseph to compete with the third-year kicker. Meanwhile, Moody has made changes to his kicking motion and believes that will help him be more consistent.
Prediction: Jake Moody will be the kicker. Sorry, 49ers fans. Please send your hate mail to:
49ers Webzone
Attention: David Bonilla, Editor
6. Who will be the team's punt returner?
After the draft, I said Bergen, who was seemingly drafted just to return kicks/punts, would not make the team. I didn't believe a player drafted simply as a returner would make the squad when you need help at other positions. Then I found out that Bergen was handpicked by Special Teams Coordinator Brant Boyer, whose son played college football with Bergen.
I've since changed my tune. Bergen should be an upgrade over Cowing as a returner.
Prediction: Bergen will make the team and be the 49ers' punt returner. And he will take one back for a touchdown.
7. Will all the draft picks make the team?
It's rare that all the draft picks make the team, especially when it's a team, like the 49ers, with a good bit of talent. But the 49ers are top-heavy and need to get younger and faster. So even though they made 11 picks in the draft, each one has a legitimate chance of making the team. The seventh-rounders, Bergen, QB Kurtis Rourke, and OL Connor Colby, have the steepest climb to make the team.
I already predicted Bergen would make the team, so I can't go back on that. Rourke is injured, so he will likely go on IR and miss the season. And that leaves Colby. A lot of people are high on him, but he may be the odd man out.
Prediction: Colby won't make the 53-man roster, but the 49ers will attempt to bring him back on the practice squad.
8. Will Shanahan find a way to get Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo on the field at the same time?
I would love to see Shanahan find a way to have Christian McCaffrey and Isaac Guerendo in the backfield at the same time. And then before the snap, have one go in motion, or split one of the out as a receiver. Bill Walsh did it with Roger Craig and Wendell Tyler. The Raiders did it with Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson. Why can't Shanahan do it? I'm not advocating for Guerendo to be a fullback and lead the way for McCaffrey on runs like Kyle Juszczyk does. But surely Guerendo could be more of a threat than Juszczyk.
Maybe there's a reason it wouldn't work, and I'm just not smart enough to know what it is. So, Coach Shanahan, if you're reading this, can you give my suggestion a try?
Prediction: It won't happen. As creative as Shanahan is, he doesn't tend to get away from what he normally does.
Those are my burning questions and predictions. What are yours?