5 San Francisco 49ers Players To Watch For In Preseason Game Against Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers will rest their starters for Week 2 of the NFL preseason against the Minnesota Vikings Saturday evening.

This gives youngsters and reserves an opportunity to prove that they belong on the 53-man roster for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.

Depth is key in this regard. Injuries pop up on a continual basis during the season. Rostering players who can step into a starting role plays as much of a role as anything in contending for a title.

Below, I look at five players to pay attention to for San Francisco’s second preseason game in Minneapolis on Saturday.

Jason Poe

It’s highly unlikely that starting left guard Aaron Banks will see action Saturday against the Vikings. San Francisco’s starters are resting in this one with a final dress rehearsal against the Houston Texans next week.

This means that Poe, an undrafted free agent from small-school Mercer, will get an opportunity to prove himself. Poe has looked good this summer, leading to the possibility that he could very well earn a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster.

Poe’s versatility and fit in Kyle Snahahan’s blocking scheme could prove vital. San Francisco lacks depth at guard, especially with Daniel Brunskill sidelined to injury. If Poe shows out, there’s a darn good chance he’ll clinch a spot on the 53 Saturday evening.

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Kemoko Turay

Speaking of impressive, Turay has opened eyes during 49ers training camp after they signed the underrated former Indianapolis Colts edge guy this past offseason.

“He’s show that he plays our style of football and that’s he’s a game player. Not that he doesn’t show up in practice, but when the lights come on, he shows up even more,” San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Nick Bosa said of Turay recently.

Turay found himself in the offensive backfield a whole lot in San Francisco’s preseason opener against the Packers last week. He’s now vying to be one of the first guys off the bech in pass-rush heavy situations. Said competition includes rookie second-round pick Drake Jackson, Charles Omenihu and Kerry Hyder Jr. For what it’s worth, the 27-year-old recorded 5.5 sacks in limited playing time with Indianapolis last season.

Brock Purdy

Has Purdy guaranteed himself a spot on the 49ers’ roster/practice squad? It seems so given their lack of interest in bringing in a proven No. 3 behind Trey Lance and Nate Sudfeld. The only question here is whether San Francisco will expose the rookie seventh-round pick to waivers by trying to hide him on its practice squad.

Despite the lack of fundamental arm strength, Purdy looks like he could be a backup at this level. He performed well in his preseason opener against the Packers, completing 3-of-6 passes with a touchdown.

Purdy should see a majority of the action in Saturday’s preseason game. Sudfeld is QB2 in San Francisco. The 49ers won’t want to risk injury with roughly three weeks to go before the start of the regular season. It’ll be interesting to see how Purdy works with the 49ers’ backups in this one.

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George Odum

With recently-minted top-100 player Jimmie Ward likely sidelined through Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, the free safety position becomes of utmost intrigue in Santa Clara. The 49ers just recently brought in former Pro Bowler Tashaun Gipson for a workout and could look to sign him here soon.

For now, Odum and Tarvarius Moore will likely battle to be the stopgap starter. Veteran Dontae Johnson figures into the conversation. But he’s also sidelined to injury.

Odum, 28, signed with San Francisco during the spring after earning All-Pro honors as a member of the Colts’ special teams in 2020. In seven starts with Indy last season, he yielded a 122.9 QB rating when targeted. Odum has also seen mixed results during training camp. Should he struggle against the Vikings on Saturday, it could expedite San Francisco bringing in an upgrade from outside the organization.

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Ray-Ray McCloud

After leading the NFL in punt return yards last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, McCloud is now looking to become more of a threat on offense. We saw that last week when he caught a long bomb from Sudfeld for a touchdown. McCloud has also shown out big time during training camp practices.

Right now, San Francisco’s starting slot position is up for grabs given Jauan Jennings’ struggles this summer. Rookie third-round pick Danny Gray could also figure into the conversation.

With that said, I am highly intrigued to see how McCloud performs as he gets first-team reps Saturday against Minnesota. Another strong showing could prove vital as the explosive playmaker looks to make an impact on offense in 2022.