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Who to Look Out for this Preseason

49ers’ football returns this week with the NFL preseason. Although these scrimmages lack the star power of the regular season’s matchups, these games are important for young players. It’s the last hurdle many rookies face to secure a spot on the final roster, or even to get the rare first-year start. If you know what to look for, the preseason can be worth your time to watch.

Today’s Pigskin Blogger Jeff Smith pointed out three players to keep your eyes on during the first week of the Niners preseason efforts: Jeff Driskel (QB), Aaron Burbridge (WR), and Deforest Buckner (DE). Buckner is already in the spotlight by virtue of being the team’s first-round pick (seventh overall). But Driskel and Burbridge are wild cards who represent untested potential. Driskel had a commendable collegiate career with Louisiana Tech. However, it came after underwhelming play at Florida. If he can replicate his Bulldog-days success on a professional Level, he may be a name we grow familiar with.

Like Driskel, Aaron Burbridge had a great senior year after three seasons of play that was average at best. While this represents tremendous growth on his behalf, it is also the root of uncertainty for any coaching staff. Will his improvements stick? Or was it an outlier in his ball-playing career?