49ers rookie receivers pushing for prominent roles

San Francisco 49ers rookie receivers Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd could be in line for big roles after strong preseason performances on Saturday.

The San Francisco 49ers could not unleash Nick Bosa in preseason on Saturday, but their second and third-round picks excelled in a victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

With Bosa out due to an ankle injury, Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd were the highest Niners picks on the field at Levi’s Stadium, and they each bolstered their respective hopes of playing prominent roles as rookies.

Second-round pick Samuel had an end-around go for 14 yards and two catches for 61 yards, including one spectacular leaping grab over the head of a defender that set up Hurd for the second of his two touchdowns.

Hurd crossed the middle of the field and caught the ball before powering his way into the endzone for his first score, and added a second touchdown by towering over a defender to haul in a back-shoulder throw.

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It is typically best not to put too much stock in preseason performances, regardless of how impressive they are. However, with Kyle Shanahan indicating 2018 second-round pick Dante Pettis is in a fight for a starting job and slot receiver Trent Taylor out after undergoing foot surgery, Samuel and Hurd look to have put themselves in position to earn significant snaps.

Asked about why Pettis was the lone starter on the original training camp depth chart to play against the Cowboys, Shanahan, per The San Francisco Chronicle, said:

"“Because I want him to compete. We’re trying to find out who our starting wide receivers are. And I wanted to give him a chance to get out there. … Dante’s got a lot of room to grow. He can still get a lot better.”"

There is still plenty of time between now and when the 49ers settle on how their depth chart will look. Given how he excelled towards the back end of last season, it would be no surprise if Pettis responded to Shanahan’s words and secured a starting berth.

However, Samuel and Hurd are both capable of playing on the boundary and in the slot, meaning they could fill the void left by either Pettis or Taylor. If they continue to produce as they did against Dallas, Shanahan should have no hesitation in giving them plenty of playing time right off the bat.