Two San Francisco 49ers rookies earned spots on Pro Football Focus’ all-rookie team for the opening weekend of the preseason, and while wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling put together a productive statistical debut, he wasn’t one of them. The honorees were offensive tackle Carver Willis and interior defensive lineman Bryson Eason.
Willis, a fourth-round pick with the versatility to play both inside and outside on the offensive line, posted a 90.1 PFF run-blocking grade in his preseason debut. He did allow three hurries across 23 pass-blocking snaps, an area to clean up, but the run-blocking showing was enough to land him among PFF’s top rookie tackles alongside the Rams’ Austin Blaske.
Eason, an undrafted free agent along San Francisco’s interior defensive line, didn’t produce eye-popping numbers but avoided any negatively graded plays in his first outing to earn a 77.3 grade. PFF noted that fellow 49ers rookie Gracen Halton also impressed, posting a 73.7 overall grade, but there wasn’t room for a third interior defender on the list.
The three selections reflect a 49ers roster loaded with young talent competing for depth-chart spots this summer. PFF’s Team of the Week pulled from a massive rookie pool — teams averaged more than six rookies on the field per snap in the preseason opener — with only players who logged at least 15 snaps eligible for consideration.
Stribling, who didn’t make the cut, actually out-produced two of the three receivers who made PFF’s list by raw volume. He caught seven of eight targets for 63 yards — more receptions and more targets than either Cowboys receiver Camden Brown (three catches, 62 yards on three targets) or Giants receiver Malachi Fields (three catches, 34 yards on three targets).
But Stribling’s per-catch average of just 9.0 yards, with a long of 32 and only 12 yards after the catch, reflected a possession-style outing without the explosive plays that drove PFF’s grading. Brown and Fields each scored a touchdown, and Steelers receiver Kaden Wetjen turned only two catches into 79 yards — including a 74-yard gain — for a 39.5-yard average that made him PFF’s third receiver on the list. Volume without a splash play wasn’t enough to crack the group.
With Willis showing scheme versatility, Eason holding his own against the run and Stribling flashing target volume even without the highlight-reel grade, all three give San Francisco’s coaching staff useful early data points before final cuts.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers place 2 rookies on PFF’s all-rookie team, one isn’t Stribling
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
