7 burning questions as 49ers begin OTAs (2024)

The 49ers’ quarterback played well enough last season that his major offseason elbow surgery became a very minor story line. However, it’s worth recognizing that what Purdy accomplished last season ostensibly came without any offseason because his elbow rehab occupied the months leading up to training camp. Now he’ll have an opportunity to actually work on improving as a quarterback, and OTAs will be our first look at him after a full NFL offseason. Arm strength and accuracy will be things to watch early on.

There’s a pretty sizable hole in the 49ers’ secondary. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir are slotted in as starters, but that third cornerback spot is a major question mark. To complicate matters, Lenoir’s ability to play inside or outside gives the team a ton of options in terms of finding their three best CBs. There’ll be a hierarchy to start OTAs that is likely to feature the veterans up first. All options have to be on the table for San Francisco though and OTAs will just be the opening salvo for what’s sure to be a hotly contested position battle.

The 49ers didn’t pick a tight end in this year’s draft, although they did sign Furman’s Mason Pline as an undrafted free agent. That means plenty of eyeballs will be on 2023 third-round picks Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis. Both players have a steep hill to climb to carving out a regular role on offense and OTAs will be their first chance to make an impression. It doesn’t bode well if one or both are relatively anonymous or actively bad to open the on-field portion of the offseason program.

The 49ers’ biggest offseason investment on their offensive line this offseason came in the third round of the draft when they selected Puni out of Kansas with the No. 86 overall pick. Puni should have a shot to start. Where he starts is a bigger question. He can conceivably line up at right guard, but he has more experience at right tackle where San Francisco could also use an upgrade. Identifying quality offensive line play is nigh impossible at this point of the offseason, but the team’s vision for Puni will likely be highlighted starting Monday.

We can pencil Fred Warner in as the 49ers’ Mike linebacker. We can also jot down De’Vondre Campbell as the Will LB. They’ll both be on the field for virtually every snap. The third LB in base packages is more of a question mark though. San Francisco has a really good mix of veterans and young players who should all get a shot there. If one of the younger players emerges as the frontrunner there they’ll also put themselves in a good spot to be a long-term starter for the 49ers. Any of the players that fall out of this race early will be in the back seat for a roster spot to open training camp.

This one is pretty straightforward. It’s not that his attendance or lack thereof would give us a definitive answer on the direction of his contract negotiations, but it would be a really good sign if he’s at least in the building. Don’t expect Aiyuk to be on the field until he has secured a long-term extension though.

There will be a backup QB competition to watch between Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen, but Purdy has forced us to open our minds some to what’s happening under center. Undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai isn’t liable to blow the doors off in OTAs, but it’ll be interesting to see if he goes about his business the way Purdy did when he first stepped in the building to try and make some early inroads toward a roster spot. Any real movement up the depth chart from the UDFA wouldn’t come until training camp or the preseason. OTAs are the first jumping off point though.