San Francisco 49ers: Four players to watch in preseason opener

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 30: Kyle Postma #3 of the Houston Cougars runs the ball against Jullian Taylor #94 of the Temple Owls in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on September 30, 2017, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Houston Cougars defeated the Temple Owls 20-13. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Jullian Taylor, Defensive Line

The rookie seventh-round pick for the 49ers has made quite a name for himself during training camp. Filling in for Arik Armstead during practices, Jullian Taylor quickly found himself working with the first team defensive line.

Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh has continued to praise his vicious ability to get off the ball and move linemen with his strong hands. Taylor was drafted as a “raw” prospect with a massive frame that can disrupt offensive lines. If Taylor has a good showing during the preseason, he can add to an underrated defensive line that features Solomon Thomas and DeForest Buckner.

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Taylor has battled injuries throughout his college career, so his durability will always be in question. But Armstead hasn’t lived up the first round expectations, and if Taylor can find a way to stay healthy, he could be a valuable aspect of the 49ers defensive line that is lacking a pure pass rusher.

Expect Taylor to play with the second unit and into the first half. If he’s as vicious as the reports are making him out to be, the 49ers may have found themselves another late round gem as they did with Adrian Colbert in their previous draft.

There are other veterans worth keeping an eye on during the first game. As mentioned earlier, the battle at right guard between Joshua Garnett and Jonathan Cooper is going to be something to watch throughout the preseason, but neither player is expected to play in tonight’s opener.

Keep a close eye on the first-round pick Mike McGlinchey as he makes his pro debut, sometimes no news is good news coming out of training camp. But the best time to evaluate linemen is during live action.

Malcolm Smith, Jimmie Ward, and Solomon Thomas are some names that you should be watching early on for the defense. Smith is returning to action after missing all of last season, Ward is settling into his new utility role, and the 49ers hope Thomas can make a big leap in year two.

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Jeremiah Attaochu, D.J Reed, and Tarvarius Moore are some back of the depth chart players to watch on defense. Attaochu is a flyer that Lynch is taking, hoping he can replicate his 2015 season with the Chargers where he had six sacks. Reed and Moore are rookies looking to add depth to the 49ers secondary.