The 49ers will care little about their 2-0 preseason record after defeating the Minnesota Vikings last Saturday, but they will have been extremely satisfied by the several positive performances that helped secure another win. They’ll aim to make it a perfect 3-0 preseason Thursday vs. the Texans.
San Francisco predominantly played the backups in the 17-7 success in Minnesota, with Javon Kinlaw, Spencer Burford, Aaron Banks and Samuel Womack the only players likely to start Week 1 who saw playing time in Minnesota.
Despite the absence of the majority of their starters, there was plenty to glean from the Niners’ latest exhibition triumph that continues to factor into their decision-making with less than a week left until final roster cuts.
Having had a few days to look back at the tape, let’s look at what we learned from Week 2 of the preseason that will matter going into the preseason finale.
Running back depth chart still very much in flux
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
While Elijah Mitchell is clearly San Francisco’s starting running back and on track to return from a hamstring injury in time for Week 1, according to Kyle Shanahan, the makeup of the rest of the depth chart at the position remains unclear.
Jeff Wilson Jr. has not played in preseason while last year’s third-round pick Trey Sermon struggled against Minnesota, totaling just eight yards on five carries and dropping a pass for a would-be first down.
Though Sermon’s lack of production was in part down to some disappointing blocking, his display was in marked contrast to those of this year’s third-round pick Tyrion Davis-Price, rookie undrafted free agent Jordan Mason and JaMycal Hasty.
Davis-Price was the pick of the bunch, showcasing power, speed and elusiveness in putting up 41 yards on 10 carries, while Mason’s burst and contact balance came to the fore in the second half as he went for 57 yards on nine rushes.
Hasty demonstrated his value as a third-down back who can contribute in pass protection and as a receiver, catching San Francisco’s only touchdown.
With Mitchell and likely Wilson sure of roster spots, the rest of San Francisco’s backs are at most competing for two places. Davis-Price would appear to have the inside track to a place on the 53-man group given his draft status, but the identity of the fourth running back for a team that typically uses several throughout the season is up in the air going into Houston after several…
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