San Francisco 49ers First Unofficial Depth Chart Takeaways

The end of training camp is here and the San Francisco 49ers have released their first unofficial depth chart of 2024. Some positions make complete sense and are as expected, but there are some major takeaways to discuss as well. Here is a look at the key aspects of the first 2024 San Francisco 49ers unofficial depth chart. Scroll to the bottom for the full depth chart.

Brandon Aiyuk is a Starter

With all the drama surrounding wide receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, it should be noted that he is still listed as a starter alongside Deebo Samuel. This is likely because Aiyuk is doing a hold-in rather than a hold-out. The receiver has been reporting to training camp all off-season, just not participating in practice. Because of this, he can be listed there on the depth chart. A trade is still likely to occur regarding Aiyuk.

No Trent Williams

On the opposite side of things, Trent Williams is not on the first unofficial depth chart. This is because while Aiyuk is doing a hold-in, Williams is doing a hold-out. He has not yet reported to training camp, and the team placed him on the Did Not Report list. This is so he does not take up a roster spot as the 49ers work out an extension with their star left tackle. Getting Williams signed to an extension is crucial for this San Francisco 49ers team.

Trent Taylor the Punt Returner

With Ray-Ray McCloud exiting in free agency, there were questions on who the next punt returner would be. While McCloud was injured in 2023, Ronnie Bell took over. While he did not do poorly, the one-muffed punt may have left fans, and even the team, a tad skeptical. Yes, Bell is still listed on the depth chart to do returns, but with the addition of Trent Taylor, it seems Taylor will take the brunt of the returns. Bell will be focusing more on the kick-off returns. Taylor did do punt returns for the Cincinnati Bengals and has been having a strong training camp with the 49ers.

The Rise of Eric Saubert

Turns out, Eric Saubert was a quiet but potentially great signing this year. The tight end position for the 49ers outside of George Kittle has been questionable. Saubert may have solved some of these questions. If you have been paying attention to training camp, Saubert’s name has been discussed quite a lot. He has been one of the top participants this year on the offense outside of Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel. He has been making connections and battling his way to become tight end two for the 49ers. Fans and the team will likely see more of the tight end during preseason games, and he will be a player to watch in those games.

The San Francisco 49ers Finally have Cornerback Depth

After years of this being such an issue, the 49ers may finally have depth at the cornerback position. Some players can move from the outside to the nickle position like Deommodore Lenoir, while some are set to be a solid starter at one position such as Charvarius Ward. There are players who had reps in 2023 that are lower on the depth chart just because the team finally has enough players. This does not mean that these players do not have to prove themselves, but the team may not have to sweat as much if a player does go down. Hopefully the team stays healthy, but this position may finally be less of a stress for the team. The order of the depth will become more clear throughout the preseason games.