After two days of practices at the Minnesota Vikings’ expansive practice facility in Eagan, Minn., the 49ers figure to tell a lot of their regulars to sit this one out.
The 49ers are in the midst of a 14-day stretch in which they have already taken part in one preseason game and two joint practices.
On Saturday, they face the Vikings at US Bank Stadium in the second preseason game for both teams. And next Thursday, they will wrap up the preseason slate with a game at the Houston Texans.
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Quarterback Trey Lance, a native of southwest Minnesota, is not scheduled to play in his return to his home state.
But here are seven players to watch when the 49ers take the field against the Vikings:
7. RT Colton McKivitz
Right tackle Mike McGlinchey sustained a setback when he felt some irritation in his knee after playing just a few snaps in the 49ers’ exhibition opener last week against Green Bay.
San Francisco 49ers
That’s not good, of course. But the bright side is that the 49ers feel very good about the progress of McKivitz, who has shown dramatic improvement after he was among the team’s final cuts of last summer.
McKivitz said getting cut served as a slap in the face and opened his eyes to how much more he can do to maximize his potential. His play has been one of the highlights along a 49ers offensive line that still has a lot of room for improvement as the regular season approaches.
6. LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
An undrafted rookie from Indiana, McCrary-Ball is an exuberant presence who is thrilled with the opportunity he has been afforded with the 49ers.
He has made an impression on the practice field, and he stood out in the preseason opener with an interception.
The roster spots are tight with this group of linebackers, but McCrary-Ball can make a push for the 53-man roster with his work on special teams. At worst, he appears to be a strong candidate for the practice squad.
5. QB Brock Purdy
It has already been quite a week for Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
On Wednesday after practice, he was brought together with Vikings veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson for a photo. Five years ago when Purdy was the Arizona Cardinals High School Player of the Year, Peterson helped honor him before a game. They had a picture taken then.
With Lance watching from the sideline, the 49ers plan for Nate Sudfeld and Purdy to handle all of the snaps behind center.
Purdy faces an uphill battle for a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster, but nothing is set in stone with three weeks until the start of the regular season.
4. C Jake Brendel
The starting job appears to be Brendel’s to lose after Daniel Brunskill sustained a hamstring injury that figures to keep him out of action for a couple weeks.
The interior of the 49ers’ offensive line continues to be one of the few unknowns surrounding this team.
Brendel plays a huge role as the main source of communication with left guard Aaron Banks and rookie right guard Spencer Burford. That group has to tighten things up after an up-and-down showing during the two joint practices.
3. DB Qwuantrezz Knight
Knight took quite a route to the 49ers. He attended three colleges and appeared in six college seasons before coming to the NFL shortly after the 2022 NFL Draft as a rookie free agent.
Initially, Knight played nickel back. He moved to safety this week after injuries to Jimmie Ward and Dontae Johnson.
Knight had an exceptional practice on Thursday with a pass breakup in the end zone, a big hit, a sack and a play on which he felt he made a diving interception (the official ruled it incomplete).
Fellow rookie Sam Womack looks to be a solid position to open the season as the 49ers’ nickel back, but Knight’s steady development was one of the factors that led the 49ers to release veteran Darqueze Dennard this week.
2. RB Trey Sermon
The 49ers have been quite pleased with the progress of Sermon, who had a difficult time earning playing time last season as a rookie.
Starter Elijah Mitchell is not likely to see any action until the regular-season opener, and the rest of the team’s depth chart at running back is unsettled.
Coach Kyle Shanahan gave Sermon high marks after the team’s first preseason game. He felt he made the most of situations in which there simply were not a lot of holes generated up front.
At some point, Sermon is going to need to show some results as he competes against Jeff Wilson Jr. and Ty Davis-Price to be the team’s No. 2 ball carrier.
1. DE Drake Jackson
Things did not look good when Jackson left the sideline and returned to the 49ers’ locker room in the first half with his right arm dangling at his side.
Jackson showed some flashes of the talent in the preseason opener that prompted the 49ers to select him in the second round of the draft. The injury was scary. But it turned out to be a shoulder stinger.
RELATED: Lance able to settle into groove with Vikings practices
Jackson returned to the practice field this week, and had a strong showing against the Vikings on Thursday.
The 49ers have a deep group of defensive ends with Nick Bosa, Samson Ebukam, Kemoko Turay and Kerry Hyder Jr.
Jackson is competing for a significant role, and he appears to have placed put himself in solid position to carve out a role as a situational edge rusher.