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Five 49ers to Look Out For in 2021

While the big name guys will get lots of attention next, here are some under the radar players to keep an eye on next season.

Vinny Saglimbeni

The San Francisco 49ers are fewer than four months away from beginning its 2021-22 season against the Detroit Lions on September 12. The 49ers finished with a 6-10 record in a 2020-21 season riddled with injuries, leading to a final result that did not meet expectations from their previous season that resulted in a Super Bowl appearance.

Lots still has to be determined until the first Sunday of the NFL season: Will the team add another wide receiver to the roster? Are the 49ers going to add more edge rush depth? When will Trey Lance see the field? Who stays in the running back room and makes the 53-man roster? Etcetera.

Those storylines of speculation will be answered as we get closer to the start of the new NFL year. However, in this time period of #speculationSZN, players on the 49ers roster will have their own storylines connected with them to look out for next year, especially in a season that is so important for the team that has seen 3 of its past 4 seasons end in losing seasons.

Stars of the team such as George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk and Arik Armstead will have their own spotlight shined on them throughout the season. But the unsung heroes of the squad that don’t get as much press will be just as important as those top-tier guys.

Here are five of those guys to look out for in the 2021-22 season.

1. D.J. Jones

Jones played 14 of the possible 16 games last season, the highest of his four-year career in the red and gold. Jones finished with 20 combo tackles and 14 solo tackles, playing in 40 percent of the team’s snaps last season.

Jones signed a one-year, $3.4 million deal with the 49ers this offseason. Known for his ability to plug holes in the gaps in the running game and sacking Russell Wilson every season, Jones is in a great spot to have a handsome payday next year, either with the 49ers or another team. With so much depth at the interior defensive line -- Jones, Javon Kinlaw, Kentavius Street, Zach Kerr and Kevin Givens, among others -- the former sixth-round pick in 2017 is in a position to make big strides next year, and the 49ers will need him if they are to get back to the Super Bowl again.

2. Dre Greenlaw

After a solid rookie campaign, the fifth-round pick from Arkansas had his ups and downs last year. Greenlaw finished the 2020-21 season with 86 tackles, 61 of which were solo tackles with the remaining 25 tackles being assisted tackles. Greenlaw added seven tackles for loss and two quarterback hits to his stat line last year.

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While Greenlaw has only missed six tackles in his entire career so far, there are some departments on defense where he struggles, particularly in the passing game. When targeting Greenlaw, quarterbacks had a passing rating of 92.2, as he gave up 39 completions on 50 targets. Furthermore, Greenlaw gave up 7.8 yards per completion and 6.1 yards per target.

Comparing that to his All Pro teammate Warner, Warner missed seven tackles last season. Playing all 16 games last season, Warner finished 2021 with 125 tackles, 79 of them being solo tackles and 46 of them being assisted. What separated Warner from Greenlaw and the rest of the linebackers in the NFL was his ability to cover. On 61 targets, quarterbacks completed 38 passes, resulting in a 62.3% completion percentage from opposing quarterbacks. Warner gave up 270 yards last season, giving up 7.1 yards per completion and 4.4 yards per target.

While it isn’t fair to compare Warner to Greenlaw, the starting linebacker has a big year ahead of him with a potential contract extension coming up soon. His contract has two more years on it, and progression from Greenlaw in 2021 will serve both sides very well.

3. Tarvarius Moore

The safety who intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the 2019 Super Bowl enters his final year under contract for the 49ers. With the 49ers injuries in the back end of the secondary last season, Moore saw himself a lot on the field.

Moore was a player fans wanted to see play more earlier in the season, but by the end of the season, there were moments where Moore struggled in coverage and making the right angles to make tackles.

Moore is not the only safety on the team who needs to prove something on a one-year deal. Jaquiski Tartt re-signed with the 49ers this season on a one-year deal, and both players could compete for the starting safety job next season if Tartt finds himself in injury trouble again.

Healthy competition this year will help Moore mold himself into a player that members of the 49ers organization will have to put on their “Must Re-sign” list. If he has a solid year in 2021, Moore is another player the 49ers may have to make a tough decision on next offseason. 

4. Ross Dwelley

With the additions of Lance, Aaron Banks and Trey Sermon in the 2021 NFL Draft, there is a situation where we see a lot more 21 or 22 personnel from Kyle Shanahan. Dwelley would be that guy to step in as the second tight end, providing another great receiving threat for the 49ers offense this year.

When targeting Dwelley last season, 49ers quarterbacks had a 123.1 passer rating. In 24 targets, Dwelley had 19 receptions, and Dwelley has yet to commit a drop in his young three-year career. There were times when Dwelley made some impressive, difficult catches, and Dwelley cemented as the No. 2 tight end, which is a good thing for the 49ers.

Dwelley can continue to progress in his blocking, and he can very well do so with his potential increase in snaps in the 2021-22 season. And if Kittle were to sustain an injury next year, Dwelley is a guy to keep an eye on, and with that, is a guy the 49ers can rely on to fill in Kittle’s role to an acceptable level.

5. Travis Benjamin

Wide receiver No. 3 for the 49ers is a position on the roster that is wide open as of now. From guys currently on the roster such as Jalen Hurd, Richie James Jr., River Cracraft, Austin Watkins, Mohammed Sanu Jr., Kevin White, Trent Sherifield and Jauan Jennings, to rumors of players coming to San Francisco off the roster such as Julio Jones, Golden Tate and Jamison Crowder, open competition is prevalent right now for the WR No. 3 spot.

Out of all those guys, the player that isn’t getting as much conversation is Benjamin. Benjamin opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and the 49ers were in a position where they could have used Benjamin in special teams. With James’ struggles last year as a returner, Benjamin provides stability as a special teams returner. Benjamin has returned four punts for touchdowns in his career, with his best year coming in 2015 with the Cleveland Browns.

Furthermore, Benjamin had a great season in 2015 as a receiver. He caught 68 passes on 125 targets for 966 yards and five touchdowns. Benjamin was with Shanahan in 2014, so there’s familiarity there with Shanahan’s system. 54.5% catch percentage that season was and could be a concern, but at the volume Benjamin would be playing at could minimize that problem.

By no means does this mean Benjamin will compete with Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel for a starting spot, but if one of them goes down next year, Benjamin is a guy to look out for to fill in that role well. The WR3 competition will be fun to observe this preseason, and Benjamin is well in the thick of the conversation to win that spot for the 49ers.

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Vinny Saglimbeni
VINNY SAGLIMBENI

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