The San Francisco 49ers welcomed their rookie class back to their facility on Saturday, and while they’re in the building this week, the veterans will return on Saturday, July 25, for the start of training camp.
While there are a lot of stars getting attention in San Francisco over the last few months, there are a few players who aren’t household names who could make an impact at some point and move around the depth chart.
Before camp officially starts, here are five under-the-radar players to watch on the 49ers offense.
QB Kurtis Rourke
Rourke played at Ohio from 2019-23, earning All-Mac honors twice and MAC MVP once before transferring to Indiana for the 2024 season, where he earned All-Big Ten honors. Unfortunately, Rourke tore his ACL during his lone year with the Hoosiers and missed his entire rookie season. This season, Rourke starts below Brock Purdy and Mac Jones on the depth chart, but if he proves himself to be a capable NFL quarterback in training camp and the preseason, he could climb and allow the 49ers to move on from Jones in a trade.
RB Jordan James
James played at Oregon from 2022-24 and rushed for 2,201 yards and 31 touchdowns on 5.8 yards per attempt. After San Francisco took him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, he was third on their depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson Jr. With Robinson leaving in free agency, James is now battling rookie Kaelon Black for the backup job, which is very important, considering McCaffrey’s injury history, age and usage last season.
WR Jordan Watkins
Watkins played at Louisville from 2020-21 before finishing up his collegiate career at Ole Miss from 2022-24. The 49ers took him in the fourth round (No. 138 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft, but ankle and calf injuries cost him most of his rookie season. He finished the year with just two receptions for 26 yards. The receiver room is pretty full right now, but Watkins should be fighting for reps after Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall.
TE Luke Farrell
Farrell joined the 49ers last year on a three-year, $11 million contract after spending his first five years in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he was expected to be the second tight end behind George Kittle, Jake Tonges really took over that role. With Kittle recovering from a torn Achilles, Farrell will be one of the top ends on the depth chart for training camp.
OL Carver Willis
Willis began his collegiate career at Kansas State, where he played from 2020-24, but he transferred to Washington for the 2025 season. He played both left and right tackle in college, but when the 49ers took him in the fourth round, he acknowledged that he may move inside to guard. If he wants to start this year, the 24-year-old will have to play on the inside and beat out 2025 seventh-round pick Connor Colby and free-agent addition Robert Jones for the job.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 5 under-the-radar offensive players to watch at 49ers training camp
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
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By Mike Masala, Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
